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“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” — Mt 5:14-15

It is easy for us to look around at the state of the world today, become disheartened by what we see, and want to withdraw completely. As Christians we also recognize that worldly influences have a way of distracting us from properly focusing on God. When we wrestle with reestablishing that focus, we might be tempted to consider fencing ourselves off for our own spiritual good; surely shutting out the noise of society and its many ills will bring us closer to God, right?

The problem with that approach is that it was never Jesus’s intention for His followers to isolate themselves from society, a society which quite frankly could benefit from their example. While we may not be citizens of this world in a spiritual sense, we nevertheless find ourselves in it. Locking ourselves away and leaving the world to consume itself is not biblical; we have a responsibility.

Jesus tells His followers that they are the light of the world. Light is a metaphor for the gospel truth and God uses the believer, illustrated in the above passage as a lamp, as a means to deliver that truth. The purpose of lighting a lamp is to illuminate the darkness, so a lamp that is hidden under a basket fails to achieve its purpose and provides no benefit. Christians are to let their light shine and this simply cannot be done in isolation.

The thorns and distractions of this life are a constant challenge to faith, and certainly it is a beneficial thing for us to sometimes recede from those interferences in contemplation of God’s word so that we may be shaped and strengthened by it all the more. But there are also clear expectations for us to apply His word in our day to day lives, to reflect His nature and holy standard in our interactions with other people, and to proclaim His gospel to a fallen world. It is therefore the challenge of the Christian to stand apart from that world while at the same time acting to positively influence it. We must put on the full armor of God and follow the example of discipleship that Jesus Himself set for us, remembering that in order for light to be effective, it has to be seen.

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Most scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB)

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