The Light within that should not be extinguished
“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.” Luke 8:16-18
God calls His children to live in the light. They are to reflect their relationship with God by the way they live. In this way, they give God the glory. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16). As a child of God, you are making Christ visible to others with the hope that people around you will be attracted to your Lord and Savior. So before you commit yourself to do anything questionable, you have to seriously ask yourself, “How will those around me react when they know what I am about to do? Am I willing for God to watch me participate in this activity?” From the text, we are given a warning that God sees what we do and that we are accountable for our every word and action. To realize that what we do reveals our relationship with God should cause us to think of doing something that is inconsistent with our claim and should also deter us from committing sin. The Apostle Paul alluded to this truth when he said, “So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). However, there will always be a temptation to ignore what God wants from us and still be persuaded to commit sin. But be reminded that everything we do “will be brought to light.” Listen to God’s warning so you will be guarded against committing sin. As Christians we are called to let the light of Christ dispel the darkness around us. “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light... Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:8, 10-11). You cannot continue in your Christian experience and claim that you belong to God and at the same time remain in sin because light cannot continue to co-exist with darkness. So God commands us to always be aware of how we live the life He has given us.
Blessings.
