Be the City

 

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

I’ve read and heard this verse most of my life. My public high school English teacher quoted it often to her students. She was not shy or ashamed to share the Truth in school.

This verse says we are the light of the world. Do we have anything innate in our being that makes us like a light? This is a metaphorical statement, of course. Let’s ask ourselves that metaphorical question again. Do we have anything within our DNA that makes us shine brighter than anyone else? No. Nothing by which God put in us makes us light—makes us good. 

We are by nature sinful. We are covered by the stains of our sins. People who believe in Jesus as their Savior from their sins no longer bear the stains of those sins. Each confessed sin is wiped away from us and we don’t carry the burden of the guilt. When we believe in Jesus and confess and repent of our sins, Jesus washes the sin stain from our names. His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. 

The One who is Light—Jesus—casts His light upon and within us. We, of our own being, are not good, sinless, and light-filled. We are covered—darkened—by the sin into which Satan tricked us. But Jesus, when we believe in Him and He washes us with His sacrificial blood and love, makes us bearers of His Light. We become the light on the hill. 

This light within us cannot be put out. It cannot be denied. As we stand in the darkness of a sinful world, the light of Jesus put within us shines forth. Jesus is eternal and His light, too, is eternal. It will never depart or fade away. 

Jesus has called us to be His city on the hill. To shine bright in the darkness around us so that other people will see the Light (Jesus), be drawn to Him and His love, be saved, and praise Him.

This should make us pause and think. Are we shining the light of Jesus intentionally so others will see Him and come to Him? Are we staying in a daily, moment-by-moment relationship with Jesus so that the light He put within us does not become dim? Are we part of a church of faith who intentionally shines God’s light and calls people to come know Jesus?

Maybe you don’t know Jesus as your Savior. Now is your time to decide. Are you tired of the burden of your sins and the darkness in which you live? Seek the Light, see the Light, and come to the Light—Jesus—for forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life with Him.

Jesus calls each of us to Him, some to be saved and some to draw closer to Him. Draw closer and shine His light brightly so other people will be drawn to Him. In what place do you find yourself sitting now—on a hill or in the crevasses of darkness? You can choose who you follow.

Good, Better, and Best

There are many times in life where we must make a decision between things. The choice can be simple as in which candy should I eat or as difficult as which person should I marry or which job offer should I take. If we are not happy with the choices given, he or she may demand our right to choose. At other times people do not give us an option to make a choice and we demand our right to choose for ourselves. We do our best to make the right decision.   

When we become Christians, decision-making does not end. We are often given the choice between things. Sometimes we think our right is to choose between the choices God has given us. From a historical perspective, I see that sometimes this decision point is more than a chance to choose what we want. It is the oppor­tunity to choose between the good and the best. Consider the story of Lot and Abraham in Genesis 13. The herdsmen of each of these men argued over their rights to particular grounds upon which their cattle, sheep, and camels grazed. Abraham and Lot conferred on this and God gave Abraham the wisdom to tell Lot they should choose from the land God presented to them. Abraham offered Lot the opportunity to choose which land he preferred. Lot looked at the land and chose the green, fertile land on the Jordan River side of Bethel. This decision left Abraham with green areas and dry regions. Abraham chose to give Lot first choice. How did Lot choose? It appears he chose based on what he thought would make him more prosperous, the greener territory. He gave the land that appeared less prosper­ous to Abraham.  

Abraham did to Lot what God does to us; he gave Lot the choice be­tween two good things. Lot chose, though, what he, as a human, thought was best. In the end, the land Lot chose was not the best land, only a good place. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah was located in the region Lot chose and God eventually destroyed those two towns. Abraham received what appeared to be a good parcel of land. Occurrences soon showed him it was not just a good choice, but it was the best choice. God assured this land, as far as Abraham could see, as the Promised Land for the family from the line of Abraham (see Genesis 17). Lot had the preference of choosing and he chose instead of seeking God’s will to get the best. Abraham had the option of choosing first, but gave the choice to Lot. Abraham chose the best, by honoring his nephew with respect by allowing him to choose first. From Abraham’s decision, the best decision, God provided the best land, the chosen Promised Land for the Israelites. 

With  this said- how does this apply to us? God sometimes gives His children a choice between options He approves. If we jump to make a choice based on our rights, such as “I have a right to whatever I want because God has given me these choices,” then we might not choose the best alternative. When God does give us the choice between two things of which He approves, we must always seek God’s will for us and choose what the “best” opportunity is. Remember, God knows what will happen in our lives, so He knows what is best for us to help us get to and get through future expe­riences. I know giving our choices to God is not easy. As humans, we want our rights and if God gives us a choice, that becomes our right. Consider it a further growing opportunity. We have the opportunity to come before God again and trust in His wisdom so we can choose what is best for our lives, not just what we want because we have a “right.” I pray each of us will learn to do this, take the options to God and let Him choose for us. This will give us the opportunity to grow spiritually. We must continually walk with our eyes towards God.