FAMILY TIES by Debra Deems

Let Your Light Shine

The evangelist Billy Sunday told a story about a Christian who got a job in a lumber camp whose workers had a reputation for being ungodly. A friend, hearing that the man had been hired, said to him, "If those lumberjacks ever find out you're a Christian, you're going to be in for a hard time!"

After a year, the man decided to return home for a visit. While in town, he met the friend who had predicted that he would receive ridicule and persecution from the workers in the lumber camp. "Well," asked the friend, "did they give you a hard time because you're a Christian?" "Oh, no, not at all," the man replied. "They didn't give me a bit of trouble - they never even found out!"

Some Christians are undercover Christians. Their neighbors and co-workers are completely unaware of their relationship with Christ; they do not do or say anything to give evidence of their identification with Him. The Lord wants us as His followers to live for Him openly. Being a Christian should never be kept secret! Jesus said in Matthew 5: 16 " ... let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

I love lighthouses. Their structures often vary in size, shape, and color, but each has unique charm and beauty. Lighthouses, however, were not built just to be admired; they were built to guide sailors to safety. A lighthouse is most useful and appreciated in the darkness of night. In the night, only its light can be seen - not the structure itself.

When Jesus sent out His disciples, He called them "the light of the world." He also indicated that their task was not to draw attention to themselves, but to do good works that would cause people to recognize God's goodness and glorify­ Him.

Just as the lighthouse's purpose is to give light, we also are to let our light shine. So how about it, are you a light or an undercover Christian?

Debra is from Brunswick, Georgia, where her husband, Jesse,

is Lead Chaplain at the Living Waters Chapel.

Permission to reprint from “Highway News And Good News” Transport For Christ, International . www.transportforchrist.org