By J.R. Miller
"You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
In the evening, when it began to grow dark and the housekeeper lit her crude lamp, she did not set it on the floor and turn a basket over it--but set it on the lampstand, that its light might fill the apartment. Jesus told His disciples that they were His lamps, and that He wanted their light to shine out clearly. Yet there are many ways in which Christian people hide or obscure the light that is in them.
For example, there is the covering of shyness. There are people who love Christ--but shrink from a public confession of Him. The very depth and intensity of their love seem to make it impossible for them to express the love. Their feelings are too sacred to be revealed. There must always be an inner chamber of faith and love in a Christian's heart, where only God may hold tryst with the soul. There are feelings which can be uttered to no human friend. There is a love of which we cannot speak. We are not required to talk with many people about our heart's piety. It is a proper reserve, which shrinks from laying bare one's inner spiritual experience. We say it is scarcely less than desecration, when a man prates in public of the sacred things of even a tender human affection. Is the heart's friendship with Christ less sacred, less holy? Surely no one should be expected to expose to public gaze--all that belongs to the holy of holies of his communion with Christ.
Still, there is danger that shyness may become a covering which shall hide the light of Christian confession. Even so good a man as Timothy seems to have needed the exhortation from Paul, "Stir up the gift of God, which is in you." Timothy was not making the most of his Christian life. He was not using all the power he had. Only a comparatively feeble light was shining out from his life--when there ought to have been burning brightness. Paul said this to him, "God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline." Timothy seems to have been covering his light under a spirit of timidity, shyness, almost cowardliness.
It befits all of us, to look to ourselves to know whether the gift that is in us, does not need stirring up--like a fire that is smouldering; whether we do not need to get more courage, whether our shyness may not be a serious fault in us, and whether it may not be hindering our usefulness as Christians. We should get the lamp out from under the covering of timid reserve, and set it on the candlestick of sincere and courageous confession of Christ.
There is also the covering of natural feeling. The very heart of all Christian life, is love. God is love, and we are commanded to be perfect--as our Father in heaven is perfect. The sum of the commandments is, "You shall love." We are taught to be longsuffering in the endurance of injury and wrong; to be patient unto all men; to love our enemies; to forgive those who have done anything against us; that the servant of the Lord must not strive--but be gentle unto all men; that when reviled--we should not revile again; that we should not avenge ourselves--but rather to leave room for God's wrath; that we should put away malice, anger, and clamor--and be sweet spirited. Love is the light that should shine continually, from the Christ life in us.
But some people hide this cheerful light of love, under the old natural feelings of resentfulness, unforgiveness, and bitterness. They are quick to take offence. The hold grudges. They are not thoughtful. They do not forgive. They are quick tempered, hasty in their speech, lacking affectionateness and sympathy. They may have a heart of love; but it seems as if there were a hard crust surrounding it and covering it--which prevents the outflow of the love.
There are many good people who do not reveal their best self. They are like an old fortress--outside, cold, stern, forbidding walls--but within, a beautiful garden spot, with home love, and refuge. These men are outwardly brusque, severe, and unapproachable; but, when you find the way to their heart--there is warmth there, with faithful constancy, and shelter of strong love. But how much better it would be if there were not this grim outside; if the love found its way into the manners, the speech, all the expression! We should not hide the warm light of love in our heart, beneath a covering of external unlovableness; but should set the lamp where its shining will reach every life that touches ours, or comes under our influences.
Then, there is a covering of pride, egotism and self-conceit, which sometimes obscures the light. The Christian religion teaches us to be modest and humble in our demeanor, to desire to give rather than to receive, to seek to minister rather than to be ministered unto, in honor to prefer one another instead of demanding honor for ourselves. We are not to insist upon always having our own way, or to think that none but ourselves know anything well, or can do anything in the right way.
But sometimes we find a man, a Christian man, who is so full of vanity, that he considers no other one's opinion as of any importance. He is upright, truthful, and honorable, firm in his principles, inflexible in his integrity; but the lamp of his good life--is hidden under the basket of an offensive egotism, an intolerable self-conceit! He treats other people and their suggestions, almost with contempt. He is dictatorial and despotic, incapable of cooperation in work with others. Such a man, by the grave fault in his character, defeats the very purpose of his own best aim. He wants to be a leader; but he seeks position as a right, claiming it, demanding it--rather than winning it by force of character and fitness, and by readiness to serve. Some splendid men, with magnificent powers, are rendered almost useless to their fellows, by this offensive spirit. The true leaders are those who pay no heed to the mere outward forms of position, precedence, and rank--but devote themselves in love and self-denying service to the good of others.
By demanding place--one may become like the figure head, which vaunts itself in vanity upon the ship's prow; but the true man of influence, is rather like the propeller, which, hidden out of sight, drives the vessel through seas and storms. Jesus said they are chief, not who claim to be first and to have highest rank--but who serve the most deeply and unselfishly. We must not hide the light of our life under the covering of an unlovely egotism--but should set the lamp on the candlestick of self-forgetting devotion to the good of others.
Another of the baskets which some Christians put over their lamps is the fretful, complaining habit. Light is clear and white. Christian life in its Divine beauty is all brightness. Two words, peace and joy, express its true spirit. PEACE is quietness, calmness, restfulness, contentment in any circumstances. The light of peace should shine in ever Christian life. Then, JOY is distinctive of the Christian--not the joy of this world, which depends on worldly conditions, and ebbs and flows with the tides of circumstances; but the joy of Christ, which the world cannot give and cannot take away.
Peace and joy are essential characteristics of the light that should shine from every Christian's lamp. But how many people cover this white, pure light--with the habit of discontent and complaining! How many of us have allowed the spirit of worry to creep into our life! How many of us permit ourselves to murmur, and to find fault with almost everything in our lot! How many of us live in a perpetual fever of discontent! Such habits dim the shining of the light which should ray out from our life.
Fretfulness spoils spiritual beauty. A habit of anxiety--hides the light of peace and joy. If only we would strip off these unfit coverings, and let the light of Christ in us shine out, it would add tenfold to our influence and power as Christians. Even in life's sorest trials and deepest griefs--the light of the lamp burning within--should shine out undimmed. Indeed, in sorrow the inner light should be even clearer than in joy.
Another covering which obscures the light in too many Christians, is ungentleness. Perhaps we do not realize how much of life's influence depends on manners. There are those who are true Christians--no one doubts their sincerity. They are honest, loyal to truth, liberal in giving, useful men. Yet in their manners, they are so ungentle that they mar, ofttimes almost destroy--their influence for good.
We need to study the art of living, as to its manner. By the way one says 'Good-morning'; one leaves either a pleasing and inspiring impression, or casts a chilling shadow over a sensitive life. We need to train ourselves to thoughtfulness, kindliness, sweet Christian courtesy--not ostentation, not exaggeration of appreciation, for these are marks which betoken a measure of insincerity and weakness, and are almost worse than rudeness; but to sincere affectionateness in our bearing toward all. We should be courteous to everyone, even to the beggar at our gate; to the lowliest person we meet.
Our Christian manners should be the interpretation of our Christian life. Perhaps we may say in excuse for a lack of refined courtesy, that our heart is better than our manners; if so, how will people know that it is? If our manners are lacking in gentleness and sweetness, we are hiding our light under a basket--and it is not shining out to bless others.
Such are some of the coverings which too often obscure the light of Christian life. If these seem little things, mere faults of manner or expression, it should be remembered that far more than we are aware--are our lives hurt in their influence by what we call little things. Those who see us and judge of our character, cannot look into our heart to behold the bright light that is burning there under all the obscuring; they must judge altogether form what shines out. We must take care, therefore, that nothing shall hide or dim the brightness of our lamp's shining.
Paul exhorted the Philippians to think not only of whatever things are true, just, honorable, and pure--but also of whatever things are lovely and of good report. If we do not make our life beautiful and winning in its outward form, which alone men see--how will they know of the beauty, the grace, the worth, within? We must express ever in our dispositions and our conduct, in all our behavior and bearing--the best that is in us, if we would fitly honor our Lord.
