“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16
I have noticed something about my human. He talks to a lot of people.
At church, work, and the gym. Sometimes, he can turn just about anything into a conversation.
Dogs are good at sharing too. If I find a stick, I want you to see it. And If I discover something interesting in the yard, I feel obligated to show everybody.
But my human has taught me that sharing something important does not always mean standing on a street corner with a megaphone.
Sometimes, sharing your faith looks like simply living it.
Jesus said to let our light shine so people would see our good works and glorify our Father.
The way we work matters.
The way we treat people matters.
The way we handle stress, disappointment, and even a bad day matters.
Faith is not something we take out on Sunday and put back on the shelf until next week.
We share Jesus while living life.
We share Him at work, with the waitress, the cashier, the coworker, and even the person who gets on our last nerve.
We share Him while hunting, fishing, drinking coffee, or standing in line at the hardware store.
People will hear the Gospel because we tell them. And we should be willing to tell them.
But sometimes they may first become curious about Jesus because they see something different in us.
And here is the important part: We are not sharing a message that says, “Look at me. See how good I am.”
None of us are good enough to save ourselves.
The Gospel begins with the truth that we are sinners who have fallen short of God’s holiness. No amount of good works can fix that.
But God did not leave us there.
Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live. He took our sin to the cross and paid the price we deserved. Then He rose again, defeating sin and death.
That is the Good News.
We are not saved because we shine brightly enough.
We shine because Jesus has brought us out of darkness and into His light.
Our good works do not earn God’s love. They are a response to the grace we have received.
When people see forgiveness in us, we can point them to the One who forgave us.
When they see hope, we can point them to the One who conquered the grave.
Our lives are not the Gospel.
Jesus is the Gospel.
That is where this old dog has to stop wagging his tail and think.
If people watched me, they would mostly learn about naps, snacks, and chasing squirrels.
But if people watch you, what are they learning about Jesus?
Your life is saying something.
The question is: What are you sharing?
You do not have to be perfect to tell someone about Jesus. The Gospel begins with admitting that you are not.
You are simply a sinner who has found the Savior.
So don’t just wag your tail.
Tell them about Jesus.
That is something worth sharing.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
