You are the Light of the World

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

Imagine you wake up during the night and there is no light in your house because of a storm which knocked the electricity out. You open your curtains hoping that the light outside the window will light up the house but there is no light on the outside either. The entire neighborhood has no light. The storm was unexpected and no one was prepared. No candles, no lamps, no flashlights. One by one, your neighbors begin to get up and notice the same thing, they begin to worry. It is dark, damp, and no one has a light. The entire neighborhood is concerned and scared. Without light people cannot see where they are going. The elderly, children, and those who are handicapped are at risk of hurting themselves. Without light, thieves can easily break into homes and stores because no one will notice them. Without light, someone can get hurt in their own home because they cannot see where they are going. Imagine that this blackout lasts for days, weeks, months, and years. Of course, over time people will develop alternatives to illuminate the night until the real light comes back on, but no matter how great the alternative, it will only provide a temporary fix until the real light appears.

When Jesus appeared on the scene over 2000 years ago to begin His public ministry, He found Himself amid the darkness. The poor faced economic uncertainty, the church, the state were corrupt and oppressive, and entrepreneurs were greedy and manipulative. There was complete darkness. Although temporary lights provided direction until His appearance, Jesus, the real Light, was now present. As followers came to Him for answers concerning their conditions and how to address the problems of their day within the government, church, and economy, His response was not an escape plan from the world nor ammunition to overthrow the government and church leaders, rather He reminded them that they are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Jesus recognized that the reason the world was in such darkness was that there was no light. He encouraged them to not run and hide from a world full of darkness but to make themselves visible to all by the works that they do. Over 2000 years later, much has not changed; we still face economic uncertainty, corruption, oppression, and a marketplace full of greed and manipulation. The consequences are mortgage crises, bankruptcy, and corporate bailouts by the government. The marketplace is in darkness and needs light.

You are the light of the world.

Light is something that enlightens and illuminates while providing direction and awareness. Biblical Entrepreneurs and kingdom businesses are the light of the marketplace. When our economy is facing tremendous turbulence – illustrated by the mortgage and financial crises – and the only hope seems to be government bailout. We all know that the government cannot solve market problems, all it can do is bandage the problems or provide a short fix. Solutions to permanently address market problems must come from the market and not the government. The role of government is to provide sound economic policies that are market-friendly. Since the solution of the market crisis must come from the market and not the government, Biblical Entrepreneurs and kingdom businesses must provide leadership to solve the problems of the market. We are the light of the world. The reason why there is darkness in the marketplace, causing uncertainty and financial crisis, is because we are not letting our light shine. Our light must not be kept under a bushel nor hidden.

This is the moment to “let our light so shine before men so they can see our good works and glorify our Lord who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to let your light shine in your family, business, community, industry, and nation so that they may see your good works and glorify our God who is in heaven.