Letting Your Light Shine

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made visible, for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” - Ephesians 5:8-14 (CSB)

If you’ve ever been camping, you know how powerful a single flashlight is in the dead of night. One beam cuts through the blackness. And when Jesus says, “Let your light shine before men,” He’s calling you to be that light in a spiritually dark world.

But let’s be clear—this isn’t about performance. You’re not trying to outshine everyone else like a spiritual spotlight hog. No, this is about making much of Jesus. You’re reflecting His goodness, His mercy, and His truth. The goal isn’t that people would look at you and think, “Wow, what a great Christian.” It’s that they would see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

So, what does that look like? It looks like living with integrity when no one’s watching. It looks like owning your mistakes instead of covering them up. It’s walking in such a way that people notice—not because you’re loud about it, but because you’re different.
Maybe today it means forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it. Maybe it means being radically generous with no strings attached. Maybe it means loving the people who are most difficult to love.

Whatever it is, let your life be a flashing neon sign that points to the goodness of God.