Bright Light

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

“What are you doing, Dad?” asked Elijah.

“Mom and I decided we’d like a window here in this wall, so I’m measuring and marking where I need to cut the hole for it.” Dad carefully drew lines where he planned to cut.

“Why do you want a window there?” asked Elijah as he helped Dad with the tape measure. “You want to see the garage next door while you eat?”

“The view may not be so great, but just wait and see what a difference a window makes,” Dad said as he put the tape measure back into his toolbox.

The next day, Dad carefully cut a hole in the wall and fit a new window into place.

“Wow!” Elijah said as he came into the room. “I think I like having a window there after all. The view is better than I thought it would be. We can see sky, trees, birds, some of the lawn—and as expected, we also have a really good view of the side of the Wilsons’ garage.” He smiled. “But you know the best thing of all about this new window?”

“What’s that?” asked Dad.

“It’s so much brighter in here! When it’s sunny outside, I could probably do my homework without turning a light on.”

“Quite different, isn’t it?” Dad stood back and admired the window. “Did you know that we should be like this window?”

“How do we do that?” asked Elijah.

“Well, the window lets light into our house, and we can bring Jesus’s light into the lives of others,” Dad explained.

“I can see the light that comes through the window,” said Elijah. “But you can’t really see the light Jesus gives, can you?”

“In a way, you can,” said Dad. “Like when you invited Sam over when he first moved here and didn’t know anyone, and he started coming to church with us. Or when you volunteered to walk Mr. Freeman’s dog when he was sick instead of playing with your friends after school.”

“You mean I was shining Jesus’s light when I did those things?” Elijah asked.

Dad nodded. “When you treat others with the love of Jesus by showing you care about them, that’s a bright light that helps people see who He is.”

–Diana M. Martin

How about you? How can you share the light of Jesus with others? You can shine His light in a dark and hurting world by telling others about Him and showing them His love. By sharing what He’s done for you and treating others with kindness and care, you can brighten people’s lives and show them who Jesus is and how much He loves them—and help them want to know Him the way you do.

Today's Key Verse: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Share Jesus’s light with others