Title: Let's Live Bright / Matthew 5:14
Content Our appearance is God's responsibility
Our facial expressions are our responsibility.
Each of us is the work of God, the only one in the world (Ephesians 2:10)
Let's live with pride
But depending on how I live, my life can be bright or dark.
Jesus said to his disciples, "You are the light of the world." That is what He told them to live as bright as the light. Because we are the light of the world, we must live with a bright expression, our words must be bright, our actions must be bright, and our dealings with people must be bright. In order to live such a life, you must first have a bright mind. To do this, the Lord, who is the light, must come into our hearts and cast out the darkness in our hearts. Darkness is when light comes in and goes out.
The darkness disappears only when the Lord, who is the light, comes into us through the Holy Spirit.
Our bright expression is a sign that the Lord, who is light, dwells in us. The light cannot be hidden and cannot be hidden. It is supposed to shine around.
We are the light of the world, and wherever we go, we must shine that light. When evangelizing, it is most effective to evangelize with a bright expression. When the light shines on it, the surroundings become brighter.
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16)
A bright life is a clean life, a cheerful life, and a holy life. Let's not forget that we are already the light of this world.
Next, when the light shines, if something is blocking it, it will not shine. What blocks the light from shining through? If you remove it, the light will shine through.
1. First, do not light a lamp and put it under a horse (verse 15).
A "horse" is an instrument used to grind grain. The word here refers to the economic concept. If a Christian's life is suffocated by economic ideas, it cannot shine. So the Lord instructed us not to worry about food, clothing, and shelter. (Matthew 7:25-31) He said that all these things were sought by the Gentiles (verse 32).
Our Creator and Father God provide for our needs.
The Apostle Paul said:
“The love of money is the root of all evil, and those who long for it are deceived into believing.
departed from Esau and pierced himself with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).
Let us learn to be content like Paul. (Philippians 4:11-12) Let's put away the economic notions, greed, and love of money that oppress us.
2. Second, do not light a lamp and leave it under a horse (Mark 4:21).
Do not place it under a "bed" or under a "bed". Normal is the standard of living at the time, and this is a comfortable life, and he was talking about pleasure and enjoyment. So, putting it under the table means that our lives are pressed by the so-called notion of pleasure.
In Luke 8:14, it is said that one of the things that suffocates a person's life is pleasure.
“He who loves pleasure lives, but is dead. (1 Timothy 5:6)
3. Thirdly, he said that he would not light a lamp and put it “in the dark” or under a horse (Luke 11:33).
"In the dark" is also "a secret place" or "a place to hide". When we have a lot that is hidden from others, it can't be bright. A person who has a lot to hide cannot live with his face open. You must confess immediately, settle with Heavenly Father, and live brightly. God forgives and forgets. We are the light of the world. The light must shine. I mentioned three factors that block the light. The idea of economics, the idea of pleasure, and the idea of hiding, that is, the idea of concealment. It is true that the world today is dark. The world is dark because the darkness is so deep that the Christian who has become more light does not shine. No matter how deep the darkness, it is destined to retreat from the light. Let each of us light our own candlelight. Let's live a bright life.