The Light Is in You

By Craig Ashton Jr., May 31, 2024

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16).

Letting your light shine isn’t about self-improvement or striving to shine. Jesus didn’t tell us to generate light from our own resources or personal performance. We don’t work at producing light; we already are the light of the world. We just let our light shine. It’s that simple.

Jesus also said that He is “the light of the world” (John 8:12). This does not contradict or replace the light of the world that we are called to be. Letting our light shine is about participating in His light. His light is our light—the source of life for all people. Jesus has our light, and we are called to live in a way that reflects His light. We may shine with a lesser brightness, but our light and His light are the same. They are not two different lights shining in the world; there is only one light mediating the glory of God Himself.

What we need is an acknowledgment that the light is already in us. Instead of trusting the light that comes to us from God, we often turn to religion. Instead of acknowledging who we are and embodying His light, we trust our personal performance. We trust that our spiritual striving to be good will offer a better version of ourselves. When will we realize that we already have light and just start shining?

To shine like Jesus commanded, we must remove the obstructions that hide our light. We may have come to believe that we’re incapable of shining. Perhaps erroneous religious teachings make us feel unworthy, unwanted, and incapable of serving God. Or perhaps our misperceptions about God cover our light. If you fear God, look to Jesus, the beautiful light coming from God, and see what He is like. If we receive God’s undeniable love, the light is in us. Simply remove the obstructions, whatever they may be, so the wondrous light will shine forth to conquer the darkness. You don’t need to struggle or strive to shine. You are already the light of the world, so let your light shine.

Craig Ashton Jr.