Don't Keep it Hidden

 Devotion for the Week...

I am ridiculously sensitive to light when I sleep. I remember as a kid my brother would get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and he'd leave the hall light on when he went back to bed. That would wake me up...even though my bedroom door was closed! I'd have to get out of bed and turn off the light before I could go back to sleep.

Sleeping anywhere away from home can be interesting, depending on the number of streetlights nearby, the thickness of the curtains, etc. The last Airbnb we stayed in had a digital thermostat in the bedroom, which I had to cover with a shirt before I could sleep. 

Of course, me being me, that light covered by a shirt felt like a devotion waiting to be written 😄 

Jesus told His followers, "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5:14-16).

Jesus told us specifically to let our good deeds shine out for all to see, but how often do we hide our light under excuses about not having time, not being talented enough, not having enough money, or whatever our personal 'not enough' might be. I know I am guilty of this. Maybe you are, too.

And yet, we are the light of the world, Jesus said. This is not because of our own goodness, but because He shines through us. Speaking about Jesus' birth, John wrote, "The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world" (John 1:9). It's His light we are hiding when we believe that what we have to offer isn't enough to make a difference.

What we often don't realize is that it doesn't take much light to make a difference. That digital thermostat wasn't very bright, but when the room was dark the display was bright enough to cast shadows. We may think that our efforts aren't much, that they can't make a difference, but we are wrong. No matter how small it is, light always makes a difference in the dark.

So go ahead, shine that light out into the world. It's no use to anyone if we keep it hidden.