Matthew 5:14 (ESV)
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

That we are to be the light of the world is clearly seen, not only by this statement from our Lord, but also by other inspired writers of the New Testament (Ephesians 5:8; Philippians 2:15). Now, what are some of the comparisons between light and citizens of the kingdom of God? Let us look at a couple of them.

Light Is Active

Light moves at the astounding speed of 186,000 miles per second. The true citizen of God’s kingdom is active. He moves swiftly to perform good works. How active are you in doing the work of the Lord? Christianity is not for lazy people. There is work that must be done in the kingdom of God, and He expects us to be busy doing it (1 Corinthians 15:58; Philippians 2:12; James 2:14-26; Revelation 13:14).

Are you an active or inactive member the church? Are you busy in the kingdom of God, or are you wasting time? The cause of Christ needs you. God has arranged it so that if the cause of His Son is going to flourish, we must take an active role. Think about your life! Think about your role in the church of our Lord. If you discover that you are not doing as much as you can for Christ, there is only one person who can change that—you!

Light Is Reflective

Our solar system is so arranged that all our planets revolve around the sun. From that marvelous mass of burning matter, other planets receive and reflect light. So then, the earth not only receives light directly from the sun, but it also receives light from the moon and other stars reflectively. That’s the nature of light—it bounces off one object and reflects upon another.

If you are a Christian, you are the light of the world. However, the light that shines from us is not our own but the light of Christ bouncing off us and reflecting upon those with whom we come into contact. This is, at least, the way is supposed to be. People should see Christ living in us (Romans 8:29).

Our light does not shine automatically; we must purposely make it so. In ver. 16 Jesus said, “…let your let shine before men.” The word “let” is in the imperative mood, indicating a command. Why did Jesus have to command us to let our light shine? It was because He knew that there would be a tendency among kingdom citizens to hide their Christianity. We must never do that. Jesus said that people do not light a lamp just to put it under a basket (ver. 15). That would be silly, and it is just as silly for us to try to conceal the light of Christ from the world.

How do we allow our light to shine forth? We do it in word and deed. We do it first by living a pure and holy life ourselves, and then, by preaching the gospel to others. Now, we must make sure that it is done in that order, that is, that we first live by the gospel, and then, tell others about it. When we do that, our light will shine, and others will give glory to our Father (ver. 16).

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.