It has never been God's will for His children to try and conceal what He has done for them. And while I'm sure we would all say that we agree with this statement, oftentimes we live our lives as if we don't. For example, I recently saw a book entitled, "The Christian Atheist - Believing God Exists, but Living as if He doesn't." Could it be that we "believe" we are supposed to shine as lights for Christ, but don't actually put that belief into action as we are commanded in the Word? As James said in James 2:14, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?..."

The Lord said in Luke 11:33, "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light." The Lord has "lighted the candle", but it is up to us to decide where we are going to shine. We can shine "under a bushel", by only living out our faith in church or when we are around our Christian friends, when those who truly need to see the light aren't around, or we can shine "on a candlestick" where all who are near us can see the light within us shining forth.

"The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness."

                            -Luke11:34

What Jesus is saying here, in essence, is that if the light that is in us is not even shining, what great darkness there will be! Likewise, as the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), if we are not shining then this world has no hope. The Lord said, "...strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14). The way to heaven is strait and narrow, and the world must have light in order to find it! Just like a plant must have light in order for it to grow, the gospel cannot take root in people's lives without us first shining the necessary light onto their path.