“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

From our earliest years, we begin to consider what we want to be when we grow up. Even with the career far in the future, we think about our place in the world and dream about how we hope to contribute to it. With time and experience, our initial hopes shift as we discern what kind of role suits us compared to the one we dreamed about. But what we want more than a career is a purpose. Career is just the practical handle we attach to that desire. We want to do something meaningful with our days, to give something back. How we do that will look different for each of us, but Jesus has given us a clear purpose that should shape everything we do.

In the Sermon the on the Mount, Jesus gave His disciples a shared vision of purpose. He gave direction that should continually shape every aspect of our lives. He sent us into the world as lights. As we utilize the gift of light and direct that light outward into the world, we show the world that we belong to Him and glorify our Father in heaven. This is our purpose—to shine Christ’s light before all people. And this is true for all believers in all times and places. It’s not a task reserved for the pastor behind the pulpit or the missionary overseas but is something you can be as a follower of Christ to your neighbor, your colleague, or your family. Living in Christ’s light reflects who He is to everyone around us just as we were made to do.

• In what ways can we reflect Christ’s light to others? What ways have you seen others reflect Christ’s light?
• Who are some people God has strategically placed you next to who do not know Him? How can you reflect Christ’s light to them?
• Pray and ask God to open your eyes to some of the people He has strategically placed you next to in order to reflect His light to.