Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
The first house I ever bought was in a neighborhood where, unbeknownst to me, the people had questionable and dangerous lifestyles. The neighbors also told me there was a problem with “water bugs”. Right away I began to notice that the neighbors were watching us like hawks. They would talk about us and I would catch them snooping. Things were stolen and someone even broke into my house. When my door opened, they would come outside to see what we were doing. When I would go to work, when the kids would get on the school bus, and even stand around my property as we played in the yard or I did maintenance and yard work. On Sundays, when we left the house, they would ask if we were going to church, even though we were dressed in our “church” clothing.
We weren’t perfect by any means, but just as I was living my life, they were also living theirs. I never addressed or confronted them about what they did. I just did me. My lifestyle didn’t change, but I did begin to notice a change in some of my neighbors. They didn’t stop doing their thing, but they began to tell each other “that girl don’t bother nobody”. They even started blocking others and hiding some of their unsavory activities from us.
One night as I went into the kitchen, I turned on the light and saw this dark mass of movement all over the floor. It was hundreds of those darned “water bugs”. I found out they were actually a species of roaches. I had just experienced that expression to “scatter like roaches”. I had no idea there were so many. I had seen a few here and there. But WOW!
I wasn’t shining a light. I had turned on a spotlight. They scattered and hid. This is what happens when we approach people involved in worldly lifestyles. Instead of them seeing a light of love, they see a spotlight of judgement. They scatter and flee. How can one witness to anyone if nobody is there to see or hear?
Just like roaches, sin likes darkness. That’s when the most activity takes place. In the dark I could even hear them eating the garbage. I learned that keeping some light shining the bugs activity was inhibited. So may it be the same with sin. Even a small light can inhibit sins activity. Being a light is not only about what we say to people or do for people. But more importantly, the lifestyle we portray to others. Normally when we see a light in the distance we cautiously gravitate towards it. That’s our inquisitive nature. We do so at our own pace to discover what it is and where it came from. We should also allow people to do the same to us. Let them watch us, inquire of us and gravitate at their own pace. Then, given an opportunity we can witness to them personally. There could be hundreds watching that we don’t even realize. God calls us to be a light in the world. Shine your light through your lifestyle and be a light that draws. Not a spotlight that causes people to scatter like roaches.
My heavenly Father; Fan the flames of Your light in me. Make it shine so bright that, without doubt or denial, all the world will see that it’s You, that we need. Amen.