You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14
One of my favorite spots in the world is the Point Piños Lighthouse near Monterey, California. It’s one of the oldest lighthouses on the west coast and is just up the coast from Pebble Beach.
The cool thing about the lighthouse is that in addition to housing the light, it also housed the light keeper. Just imagine the million dollar view. Of course, light keepers worked at night….
In the days of light keepers, the light needed to be tended. The light keeper would turn it on, turn it off, and keep it going in-between. Today, even the Point Piños Lighthouse is automated. Retired Coast Guard supervise the tours, but the light doesn’t need anyone to run it.
The formula is simple: when it’s dark, the light shines. The light doesn’t need to work hard to shine. It just shines. It’s positioned to been seen from far off shore. It’s not on a high hill, but it’s positioned to warn ships based on the curvature of the earth.
We don’t possess the light because we are so bright. The light is the light of Christ. It originates from Him, not from us. For instance, John the Baptist (who pointed to Christ) tended the light, but didn’t produce it. “John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:8-9, NLT).
The difference between believers today and John the Baptist is that the light of Christ was with John, but the light of Christ is in us. “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Light in a dark place is obvious. It doesn’t have to jump up and down. It doesn’t have to make a lot of noise. Light simply shines.
How is your life positioned to shine the light of Christ? What is it about your life that shows you possess the light of Christ? I don’t say that as some guilt-inducing attempt to make you try harder. Your trying harder wouldn’t get you there.
We possess the light of Christ. Yet, many of us don’t really understand the significance of what we’ve been given. We pray about nothing, when we’re instructed to pray about everything (Philippians 4:6), and then we attempt to live our lives for Christ without His Power or Presence. No wonder we feel frustrated and defeated.
Ask Jesus to show you what it means to possess His Light. Then, notice how the light of Christ can affect the darkness around you.
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