Matthew 5:16 ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’

DAILY READING  1 Corinthians 6; 1 Kings 19; Amos 3:3-4:3

During World War II, of the 16 million military men who were in uniform, only 431 received the Congressional Medal of Honor. One of the recipients of America’s highest national award was a young Christian, named Desmond Doss. What was amazing about Desmond Doss, was that as a soldier he refused to carry a gun. His only weapons were his Bible and his faith in God. He applied personally the Biblical Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”.

His refusal to carry a gun caused a lot of trouble among his fellow soldiers. Nobody believed a soldier without a weapon was worthwhile. His fellow soldiers saw this Bible reading puritan, as being totally out of sync with the rest of the Army. So they ostracized him, bullied him, called him awful names and declared him mentally unfit for the Army. However, things began turning around when the men discovered that despite how they maltreated him, in each military operation, Desmond, who was a medic, exhibited extraordinary dedication in treating the wounded soldiers, including even those who had abused him.

On May 5, 1945, the men in Desmond’s division were engaged in a heated combat on a mountain area, called Hacksaw Ridge. More than half of the men were wounded and officers ordered an immediate retreat. All the soldiers rushed to retreat, except Desmond. He charged back into the battle field to rescue many of those who were wounded and scattered across enemy soil—abandoned and left for dead. His iron determination and unflagging courage resulted in at least 75 lives saved that day. Eventually, the Americans won the battle. Desmond’s actions won over his fellow soldiers and he became celebrated. In recognition of Desmond’s heroic acts, on October 12, 1945 at the white house, the American President Harry S. Truman, honored him with the nation’s highest medal.

Matthew 5:16 says ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’

Though grossly maltreated by his fellow soldiers, yet through his actions, Desmond eventually won them over. There is no question that we live in a dark and hurting world. And sometimes we may find ourselves in what seems like a dark and negative situation. But you’re not where you are by accident. You are there to make a difference. You can either be a thermometer and just measure the temperature, become like everyone else, or you can be a thermostat and change the temperature.

Light works best in the dark places. People may sometimes push your buttons expecting to get certain reactions. But no matter how you are pressed, determine to let your light always shine. Always respond with kindness and love. Remember, as a Christian, your life is your message. People are reading it daily. Your actions are speaking louder than your words. And people believe a sermon that they see more than a sermon that they hear. People can’t see God, but they see us. And the question is, are we making God look good? Are we attracting men to Him by our light?

You cannot give what you don’t have. To shine forth light, you must have first received light. And it is the entrance of God’s Word that gives light. Let us therefore be continually filled with His Word so that His light will shine through us to rescue those in darkness.

PRAYER

Lord, please help me to shine my light with greater intensity. Please enable me to make a difference to the world around me.  Let your love, your kindness, your mercy be seen in everything that I do in Jesus Name.

Quote

Illuminate your world, for you are a star destined to shine- – WORDBITE 222