“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16; ESV

As a child, I found myself being fascinated by the toys and such that glowed-in-the-dark. I would get these toys and hold them up to the light in my room and then try to make it totally dark in my room so I could see my toy glow bright. I wasn’t afraid because I had the light in my very hands. I felt safe. Being a child, that was very important.

If I had others with me (family or friends) when I was playing, I would invite them to come into my room so I could show them how the light pierced the darkness and made me feel powerful. I am sure that I drove them nuts! But I was proud of my light and wanted everyone to enjoy it with me. Not everyone was as excited about the light as I was.

I love the light. It isn’t because I am afraid of the dark; however, I simply happier being in the light. Spiritually speaking, I feel the same way. I know what it is like being in the dark spiritually; it’s a dangerous place to be! Even if you feel comfortable in the darkness, there are still hidden dangers and traps which will get the best of you! You need the light to see your way through.

I like to think of myself like my glow-in-the-dark toys of my youth; If I am to shine in the darkness, I must always need to be exposed to the Light of Life (Jesus). Just like that toy needing to constantly exposed to the light in order to shine, so I must be exposed to the Light in order of me to shine. Without that connection, I would become as dark as the area around me. I want my light to shine for Christ and not myself.

The glow-in-the-dark items contain phosphors; a substance that radiates visible light after being energized. Any item which has this component in them will have the ability to glow when exposed to light. Our spiritual “phosphor” is Christ. Having Him in our lives gives us the power to “shine” in the darkness of this world. The world needs to have more shining their lights to make it a brighter place.

Allow me to ask a simple question: Are you a glow-in-the-dark people? Do you so let your light shine or do you hide it under a bushel? Have you allowed yourself to be used by Christ to draw others unto Him? Our good works should point directly to God who gave us the ability and privilege to bring glory to Him.

We are all called to let our lights shine if we are true believers. When we become glow-in-the-dark people, others will give glory to God. Why would others give glory to God for what we do to shine? Maybe we gave them light to come out of the darkness. It might be that we provided hope for the hopeless person. However God has gifted us to serve, He will receive glory from it if we allow our light to shine. This is why we need to become glow-in-the-dark people.

Just like the toys need a constant connection to stay illuminated, we must stay connected to our source of light; Jesus Christ. If we stay away from Him too long, we will begin to become dim and our light begins to fade. Attending church, Bible study (spending time in God’s Word), prayer, and fellowship with believers all keep us connected to the source of our light. It is my prayer that we all become glow-in-the-dark people for the Lord. What a bright future we could have if we only plug ourselves in!

Father God,

As the Newsboys once sang, “I want to be in the light, as You are in the Light. I want to shine like the stars in the heavens.” Let us all desire to become lights in this dark world that we might draw others to You. Grant us all the ability to bring You the glory and honor You rightfully deserve. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.