Jesus said to the multitude during the Sermon on the Mount, “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 in Bible)
Are we a light to the world? Are we examples of good works that glorify God?
Do we share the marvelous Gospel of Jesus Christ with those that know us
Dolores Sobieski shares her experience. “It was an unusual day for Southern California with thunder, lightning, pouring rain, and oppressive heat. I looked forward to relaxing and watching a movie in my air-conditioned home. But just as I sat down, I felt that I should call my friend Sherrill. When I called, I learned that she had been without power since that morning. She was concerned that her frozen food would thaw and her milk would spoil, so we moved her food to my refrigerator. The next evening Sherrill and I stood in front of her home. Every house on her side of the road was in total darkness, while those across the street had power. One house in particular caught my attention. Directly across the street, the home blazed with light as people sat on the porch talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves. In the days that followed, I could not get that scene out of my mind. The contrast was striking: total darkness on one side of the street and bright lights on the other; people sitting in darkness while their neighbors were enjoying light. The image made me wonder how often I was like those people across the street—enjoying the light of the gospel while others sat in darkness. I imagined myself sitting on my porch with a few friends from church, enjoying the light of the gospel without sharing it with others.
Everyone in the world is born with light—the Light of Christ. As Christains we have the privilege of adding to that light…We have the responsibility to let our testimonies of Christ shine for all to see—especially for those in spiritual darkness. After this experience, I determined to be the kind of person Heavenly Father can trust to come away from the comfort of my porch and carry the light of the Christ to my neighbors who are in darkness.”
We each have a Spark of Divinity
Each of us have a spark of divinity in us as sons and daughters of God! What a marvelous truth!
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8: 16-17 in the Bible)
If we are sons and daughters of God, then God has an important plan for each of us. Our existence on the earth with a mortal body housing our divine eternal spirits is an important step in our progress to become heirs of a loving Heavenly Father and beloved Savior Jesus Christ. Unfortunately many of the children of God do not understand their divine heritage and waste their lives following many wrong selfish paths trying to find happiness without God in their lives.
What is Success in Life
Our success in life depends upon how much light we gain while we are here on earth. Success in life is not about money accumulated, medals we may win, how much fame or power over others we achieve. The real objective of our existence is to gain light. Our spirits grow brighter when we feed them light. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1: 5 in the Bible) “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Doctrine and Covenants 50: 24). Let us share the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all we know that they might experience the joy of the Gospel Light in their lives.