Matthew 5:16
By BunGirl
@BunGirl (2638)
United States
August 8, 2007 8:30am CST
"Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (ASV)
When most of us hear the word "evangelism" we cringe. We think of it as a guy standing on a soapbox on a corner with a bullhorn. Of course, that's one option for sharing the gospel with the world, but it's far from the only one. The Bible tells us that simply living out our faith can turn others toward God.
Just as in other parts of your life, often what we do is more important than what we say. People learn from example and actions speak louder than words. Even sound preaching is weakened when your walk isn't also in line. We all know those people who claim to be Christians and preach to anyone who will listen, but don't live any differently from the rest of the world. If we don't take their faith seriously, why should the rest of the world? We need to let God's light shine through every part of our lives, not just the easy ones.
So how do we share God with a fallen world? Learn to walk in Faith. Learn to lean on God in times of struggle. Love your neighbor. Love your God. Do all these things in a transparent way, and let those around you see the change in you. True, you're bound to slip up from time to time, but don't be discouraged. We all fall now and then, and allowing the world to see that you messed up but you kept going can be a powerful testimony in itself.
If you learn to reflect God's love and let it shine in your life, you'll soon find that you don't need to preach to strangers. People in your everyday life will want to know why you're so different. They'll see your joy and want a piece of it for themselves. They'll want to know the source, and you'll be ready to share it.
3 people like this
6 responses
@kbkbooks (7022)
• Canada
8 Aug 07
My minister father used this verse in the introduction to the offertory in the service. I always thought it made a lot of sense that if people see you are doing good things for God, they would be blessed by knowing it and most likely by knowing you.
1 person likes this
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
12 Aug 07
I never understood this principle. Years ago, I separated my life in 2 parts...the Sunday part, or religious part, and the secular part which was everything else. My faith was never something you shared, but was very private. It was much later that I realized your faith is what makes everything else in your life actually work! Your relationship with Jesus is what colors everything in your life and allows us to function. And, we as people, tend to judge others by what we see, so believe that others are watching us to see how we act if we even tell someone we go to church. As an example, the manager in my shop is fairly new to the business and to authority. There was one woman in the shop who drove her nuts and pushed all of her "buttons". As a result, Manager treated this woman terribly. She criticized her endlessly, looking for imperfections in her work. She talked down to her and said things like "how many times do I have to tell you this?" in a rough tone of voice. The woman was even made to clock out and re-do work on her own time sometimes. The standard for this woman seemed to be much more extreme than for anyone else. To make a long story short, I learned later that Manager was going to church regularly and even to extra Bible classes etc. I was so shocked I almost gasped! Her behavior to this woman did not jibe with the knowledge that she was a church goer. As an example of a Christian, she had failed miserably in my eyes because of the way she treated this employee. "Walking the walk" is extremely important. How we behave in our every day lives will influence others in ways we won't even know. It is certainly something to think about and a responsibility we have as Christians! Thanks for the though-provoking discussion!
1 person likes this
@DESMASTER2007 (1130)
• United States
21 Mar 08
This is really a great scripture that I can always reference to. I really believe that we should definitely be a light towards others.
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