Matthew 5:14
“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.”
I love this verse, especially how it is translated in The Message. We are here to be light, and we get to bring out the God-colors in the world! Isn’t it awesome? It reminds me of a superhero power -- like X-ray vision, but better. Instead of just seeing through things, like what is on the other side of a wall, we get to see what God sees! Whoa! And not only do we get to see what God sees, but we actually get to impact the world around us – to bring out the God-colors. That sounds amazing.
We are here to be light. What does that mean?
Light helps us to see. When the sun comes up, when you flip a switch, when you turn on your cell phone flashlight – the light clarifies and brings into focus the world around us. Light also plays a part in our eyesight beyond just brightening things up. Did you know eyeglasses correct vision because light changes speed when it passes from air to a lens, which causes the rays to bend? I just found that out. It hits close to home because at the age of 45, I recently realized that it was getting hard to see things. The time on my phone. The print on a menu. Instructions on the back of a box. All these things were getting fuzzy. I couldn’t really read the small print and noticed I was starting to have to guess what the words actually said. I went to the eye doctor and got new lenses. Now I can see the small print! But I have to choose to put my lenses on. If I forget or leave them at home, I am stuck with a limited experience.
My lenses are helpful. They help me to make sense of what I’m seeing, and help me make decisions about what to do. You know where I’m going here. There is an even better pair of lenses that exists. Having God’s perspective, His light, gives us His lens to look through and gives us the ability to share His light with the world around us.
Isn’t that cool? And God models this for us best. He sees us through a special pair of lenses. He looks at us through Jesus! We forget that don’t we? We think He sees us as “sinners,” as lowly beings that He merely tolerates, as the person who messed up yet again, or even little piles of poo with some white paint on top. But He says that is not so! He says we are new creations, and when He looks at us He sees Jesus! (2 Cor 5:17) In Jesus, we are reconciled with God and counted as righteous before Him! (1 Cor 5:17-21.) He didn’t die on the cross because He had to, but because He so loved us and valued us that He chose to pay the ultimate price to redeem us. Can we believe that? Can we ask Him for His lens to look at ourselves, to see ourselves in His light?
Not only do we get to see ourselves how God sees us, but we get to join Him in His perspective of the people around us. Here’s an example: we do an activity with kids in Sunday School class that includes having the kids think of someone they have a hard time getting along with (which often ends up being a sibling.) We talk about how frustrating that person is, how they ALWAYS do the thing that bothers us, and how even the way they breathe drives us crazy! Then we ask God to show us how He sees them. And wow! Kids start sharing about how talented, kind, and funny their siblings are. Then it gets even more interesting because God shows them how their brother’s annoying habit of always coming in their room is because their brother wants to be around them. Or that the reason their sister ignores them is because she has hurt in her heart, and Holy Spirit invites us to pray for her. These are examples of how God’s light, seeing through His lens, changes the way we see the world around us. And then we get an invitation to partner with God to shift the world around us - to bring out the God-colors!
Another example is using light to expose lies. Bill Johnson says that if there is any area of our life where we have no hope, we are believing a lie. (Jer 29:11, 1 Pet 1:3, Rom 5, Matt 19:26.) God’s light shines and shows us where we are lacking hope and helps us identify what lies we are believing. Then we get to bring God’s Truth into the situation, and hope shines brightly! We get to live that way, and we get to be this for others – shining light into both our own lives as well as the world around us, exposing the lies and releasing hope.
So how do we bring out the God-colors in the world? We are here to be light! And God doesn’t ask us to be or do anything that He isn’t prepared to enable us to do. In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light.” The original translation of those words are, “Light, exist.” God supplies the light. In fact, did you know Jesus said He was the light of the world, (John 8:12 and John 9:5) and then later goes on to say we are the light of the world (Matt 5:14)? And when we are saved, we are in Jesus and Jesus is in us and we get to shine, bringing out the God-colors in the world! What an honor and a privilege.
Does this make us puffed up and proud – to be the ones with the light, the privileged ones who can measure it out to the people or areas that need it? No way! The light is LOVE, the light is Jesus, and we need Him just as much as everyone else! If we boast, we boast in Him (1 Cor 1:31.) And we can’t help but shine the light, with honor and joy that we get to share the Good News with everyone.
So many people and circumstances are waiting for the light, and even creation is groaning (Rom 8). We get to bring light to situations - releasing hope and wisdom and God’s miraculous power, bringing heaven’s solutions and answers to earth (Matt 6:10). We get to carry the light to dark situations that seem hopeless. And should you be tempted to doubt, to wonder if God really wants you to play this role, remember - the scripture says Jesus said it’s so!
Thank You, Father, for creating us to be Your sons and daughters. Thank You for shining Your light on us, allowing us to walk in our full identity as Your children. Thank You for creating us to be light, and to bring out the God-colors in the world around us! Show us the places in our own lives where you want to show us Your perspective. And show us the situations, the people, and the places You want us to shine Your light into in the world around us. We love You so. This will be fun! Amen.
About the Author
Pam is a fun and encouraging team-builder that brings the best to those around her. She loves people and is committed to serving and mentoring kids, women and families with opportunities to grow closer to God and each other.
Pam is currently serving as Children and Family Pastor at Valley Christian Center in Albany. Pam and her husband, Jared, have been married since 2005 and have three boys. Their family will always be a much loved part of our CitySalt family.