by Dr. Paul Chappell

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Matthew 5:14-16

Make sure your faith isn't simply coming from your lips, but is being shown through your life.

Not too long ago we read Aesop's fable about the lion and the mouse. While Aesop never professed to be a Christian, his fables have taught many children (and adults) biblical principles and morals. In today's Aesop's fable, notice the principle behind Aesop's story of the sun and the win:

The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveler coming down the road, and the Sun said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveler to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger You begin." So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveler. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveler wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveler, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.

The wind thought through might and persuasion he could take off the traveler's coat, yet the harder he tried, the further he got from causing the traveler to shed his coat. When the sun's turn came he simply shone, peacefully giving off radiant waves of heat, and soon the traveler decided to take his coat off. It was nothing he did, but simply a result of what he was.

While God commands us to tell others of His salvation, notice that He also says part of our witness must radiate through our lives: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

We read and understand God's command to witness with our lips, but too often many Christians think verbal witnessing is a replacement for a life that points honor to Christ. God commands us to live so that others see His light in us and are drawn to Him. How can you live in such a way?

Follow His commands. Perhaps the greatest determent to shining for Christ is disobedience to God's Word. You may not participate in well-known sins, but are you unkind, pious, prideful, self-centered, or hypocritical? Those sins bring great dishonor to the name of Christ.

Live faithfully. People know you're a Christian. You may not have told them of your faith, but they know you're different than they are. What a great opportunity to point them to Christ! As you faithfully put a priority on God's work, others will notice. Take that chance to invite them to church, give them a tract, or tell them of God's work in your life.

Love others. People have heard that Jesus is a God of love, differentiating Him from nearly every other deity. Yet if His children, the people who follow Him, don't show love, why would someone desire to meet Jesus? Take time to show others that God not only claims to be love, but shows it through your life.

Is your life a light to people you come into contact with? Do your coworkers know of your faith-not just hear it, but also see it? Do your friends know how important God is to you? Make sure your faith isn't simply coming from your lips, but that it is being shown through your life.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 110-112 | 1 Corinthians 5