“You just moved to Orlando, right?”

I have been living in Orlando for over seven years now, but yet was completely calm that to a stranger, it was apparent that I wasn’t from ” the O”.

Sitting alone, waiting for my lunch order to come, I had offered to move down a seat because the seating was limited, and in the small, crowded restaurant; she and her husband needed a place to sit.

So I offered, and the question proceeded; “you just moved here?”

Maybe I’m dramatic but in those moments, I like to believe that’s what Jesus is talking about when he tells us to “let our light shine before others.”

Quite often, especially if you’re use to being around Christian friends or even, church as whole; it can be easy to think that the moments of annoyingly long welcome hugs, the “I’ll save a seat for you”’s , and constant encouragement and reminders of living a life of real abundance and how loved and called you are, is something the world evidently sees and encounters too.

We can’t forget how evidently clear it was when God’s people were his people, he let it be known that they were his people; no second guesses.

We see that when Moses comes down from Mount Sinai after talking with God and his face shines, or when God trusts young Samuel with the vision of what he is about to do with Israel and Samuel later becomes known for being a prophet for the Lord.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.”- Matthew 5:16

The other day I read this interesting stat about how most of the Christians who are telling others about their faith are freshly new to Christianity.

Global University’s “The Local Church in Evangelism,” explains how ” being an effective witness does not necessarily depend on how long a person has followed Christ or even how spiritually mature he or she is. Extensive research in thousands of churches shows that most of the personal evangelism in any congregation is done by those who have been Christians for less than a year.” (29)

So, what is happening to the believers who have been Christian’s for a longer period of time?

Again, we can be tempted to think that the light is “normal.”

Unless you’re writing a bad review because you want to unhealthily vent your feelings to the world, when we encounter something amazing, something life-changing; it’s quite natural to want to share that with others.

We become a city on a hill before others when we choose not to dim what God has done, and continues to do in our lives.

Your light dims when you choose to be quiet and should be speaking up. When you choose to go along with the crowd, ignore the seemingly quiet needs of others or let sin dim your light.

Let your light shine.

Ligia Forbes