The True Light

John 1:6-9
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

John the Baptist was sent by God. He came to tell people about the true Light. Through him, all people could hear about the Light and believe.

John was not the Light, but he came to tell people about the Light. The true Light was coming into the world. The true Light gives light to all.

Light is given by God. Without God, all will be in darkness. He gave light in the first day of creation.

Imagine a dark room without any light. Nothing is visible. But when the light is switched on, all can be seen.

Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 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.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

How can we be the light of the world if we do not have light on our own? How can we be called the light of the world if we are not the light?

We cannot but He can! He is the light of the world. The true Light! When He shines on us, we can reflect His light to others! It is the true Light of Christ, entrusted to us. We become a reflection of His light!

Numbers 6:24-26
24 “The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’

We do not and cannot produce the light within us. God does. Unless God makes His face shine upon us and be gracious to us, there will be no light in us! And when He does, we then can be visible as His light shines! Others will see us and what we are doing!

We then become the light that gives light to the needy world around us. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don’t hide a light under a bowl. They put the light on a lampstand. Then the light shines for all the people in the house.

In the same way, we should be a light for other people. We should live so that they will see the good works we do, and praise our Father in heaven.

How do we become a light to other people? By doing good works! We are not saved by doing good works. But because we are now saved, we will do good works!

We cannot receive light by trying to generate light within ourselves! We receive light when Jesus shines on us! Now we have received the true Light, we need to reflect His light to others! By doing good works, we become a reflection of the true Light shining on us!

One of the ways to let our light shine before others is to show true compassion to others. Not a false pretense or fabrication, but really having a genuine care and concern for others! Like Jesus who showed true compassion for all people, regardless of their race, language, gender, social status or personal beliefs. As true Christians, we should follow His loving example by showing true compassion and kindness to everyone.

Another way to let our light shine before others is to have true humility. In our life, we should think and act like Jesus.

Christ Himself was like God in everything. He was equal with God. But He did not think that being equal with God was something to be held on to. He gave up His place with God and made Himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. And when He was living as a man, He humbled Himself and was fully obedient to God. He obeyed even when that caused His death—death on a cross.

We are called to be humble in all things, knowing that it is only through the grace of God that we are able to live and move and have our being.

True humility also means the willingness to confess our sins before God and others. In doing so, we demonstrate that we are open and teachable for correction and guidance.

Another way to shine our light before others is our generosity. We are called to be generous with our money, time and resources.

Everything that we have belongs to God. We bring nothing into this world, and we can carry nothing out.

As God have blessed us, we should share our God-given blessings with those in need. We should give without expecting anything in return. True generosity has no secret agendas and ulterior motives.

True forgiveness is another way of letting our light shine before others. Jesus taught us that we should forgive others as we have been forgiven. Thus, we should seek reconciliation with those who have wronged us. We should also ask for forgiveness from those whom we have wronged. By doing so, we are not living in darkness but in light. Others may seen Christ through us.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

God is in the light. We should live in the light, too. If we live in the light, we share fellowship with each other. And when we live in the light, the blood of the death of Jesus, God’s Son, is making us clean from every sin.

There are many other ways to let our light shine before others. We can volunteer our time at elderly homes, soup kitchens or homeless shelters. We can donate money to a charity or an orphanage.

We can be kind and compassionate to someone in need. We can also lend a listening ear to a friend who is going through a tough time by offering words of encouragement or simply being there as a true friend.

Perhaps the best way to let our light shine before others is to share the good news of Christ with others. Yes, the gospel that God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son. God gave His Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life.

We should not keep this message to ourselves. The good news is meant to be shared! We should make it visible for everyone to see.

We share not with manipulative words of persuasion or by compulsion or obligation but with a loving heart truly desiring for their salvation in the Lord! We share also with fervent prayers and intercessions, knowing that the Lord will draw them to Himself.

Letting our light shine before others is not an easy task. Not easy because we do not have the light. Not easy because we tend to draw attention to ourselves or promote our own interests. Not easy because we tend to live for ourselves, not for others and God! Not easy because we do not love God and others!

But we are not alone. The true Light is always shining! We should live in His light! God have also given us His Holy Spirit! When we have the Holy Spirit within us, He will empower us to live the life that will bring glory to His name! He will also allow us to reflect and bear the true Light of God.

Let Jesus shine through us!

Written on 29 August 2025