Day 81 · Week 12
Passage: Matthew 5:15; Luke 8:16
Memory Verse: Matthew 5:16
Matthew 5:15 (KJV)
“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.”
Lighting a lamp and then covering it would defeat the purpose of the lamp.
Jesus says the same thing can happen spiritually.
Sometimes we hide our faith because we are afraid of what people will think. We may avoid admitting that we pray, read Scripture, keep the Sabbath, attend church, or make certain choices because we follow Jesus.
There is a difference between being humble about our faith and being ashamed of it.
Jesus does not call us to advertise ourselves or force religious conversations. But neither should we carefully conceal the fact that we belong to Him.
A lamp simply does what it was made to do: it shines.
Our faith can be equally natural. We can thank God for something without embarrassment. We can explain kindly why we make a biblical choice. We can offer to pray for someone who is hurting. We can speak about what Jesus means to us when an opportunity arises.
Often the fear beforehand is greater than the actual difficulty.
Christ has given us light not merely for ourselves, but so that others may benefit from it too.
Why might someone be tempted to hide the fact that they follow Jesus?
Ask God to show you one natural opportunity this week to let someone know, without pressure or pride, that your faith in Jesus matters to you.
Ask Jesus to remove both pride and embarrassment from your family's witness and give you a simple, genuine willingness to belong openly to Him.