This Little Light of Mine, I'm going to Let it Shine

John 5:16

Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

"This Little Light of Mine, I'm Going to let it Shine." "This Little Light of Mine" is a great children's song written by Harry Dixon Loes. It is a lesson we teach to children in a song but sometimes as adults maybe we fail to let our light shine. 

What is this little light? Jesus tells us by his life and also in the beatitudes. 

This verse from the Gospel of John comes after Jesus had just taught the crowd and his disciples the beatitudes.  The beatitudes are interpreted many different ways, but before anything remember that Jesus was teaching about the Father and about the kingdom of Heaven. This is a message of the beatitudes.

The beatitudes are promises.  If you are completely dependent on God, do not morn because God is sending you comfort (Jesus) and the land (kingdom of heaven). If you depend on God and look for the kingdom of heaven, you will be harassed, insulted, and persecuted; but, we are to remain constant in our faith.  We are not be the instigators of conflict; but, ambassadors of Christ's love. In all of this, if you hunger and live for righteousness (the way God intended all to live) then be happy because you will be rewarded in heaven.

In this passage Jesus tells us that living these beatitudes should not be a life hidden. The beatitudes should not be a life lived without enthusiasm. The beatitudes should be a life that you witness everyday by letting the light that is Christ show forth from you.

It is not easy to let this light shine. When I was younger, I was asked to name two of the beatitudes. I couldn't give an answer. True, I was caught off guard and in a stressful situation. At that time, maybe, I did not necessarily live my life by the beatitudes. I let what others think and what the world expected block the light of Christ in me. It was not that I was ashamed, but sometimes "I thought" living the beatitudes got in the way of being a success. As I have lived my life, I have learned that what is the world is not the most important. Glorifying God is what is important and God has been good to me.  

I truly think that what we truly are will rise to the surface as we live our life.  It is through the entirety of our lives that we let the light shine or we keep it hidden.  We are not perfect, I'm not perfect. The light of Christ should never be obstacle in this world.  We should let shine in us and let everyone know the source of that light, Jesus Christ.

Prayer:  

Lord Jesus, in you we find the file that make our lights shine.  You are where the source of love that enables our good deeds.  Let us offer all that we do in the name of Jesus Christ to glorify the Father, through the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Amen