Generators or Reflectors?

We are people of influence, each of us. That means, by definition, that we have an effect on the thoughts and actions and spirit of others. It’s inevitable. We just do.

Although most of us occasionally have a negative effect on others, I think we all sincerely want to have a positive effect, modeling how to live as disciples of Christ, encouraging those around us, spurring them on to fulfill their potential. But influencing others is a tricky thing. Pastor Ben referred to an especially powerful portion of Scripture which gives important guidance to this whole idea of influencing others:

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father” (Mt. 5:14-16 NLT).

Yes, belt it out: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” Do, as John Wesley admonished, “all the good you can to all the people you can in all the ways you can as long as ever you can.” But a word of caution is in order as regards the doing and shining. For many of us, it comes oh-so-naturally. We love to do and shine. We wouldn’t think of hiding our works under a basket – they might go unnoticed and unrewarded!

But Jesus’ teaching reminds us that the light which emanates from good deeds and right living and positive influence is not meant to cast a flattering glow on us. It’s not meant to bathe us in a heavenly aura that makes people ooh and aah and put us up on a pedestal. The shining, the influencing, isn’t even about us at all.

We’re to shine in such a way that those who see are moved to praise God. Not us. Not our family. Not our church. God.

Wow. That makes it all a little tricky. It means doing what doesn’t come naturally. It means reaching out to others in Jesus’ power, according to His plan, desiring only His purpose and results, and intentionally guarding against lesser motives. It means refusing the perks and attention that people naturally give to shining lights. It means continually checking our reasons for and methods of shining. It means humbly insisting that our light comes from God; He is our Source, and without Him we are embarrassingly low wattage indeed.

It’s so easy to pursue influence for the wrong reasons, and so easy to justify those reasons. But in the end, we are really only… reflectors.

The apostle Paul said it this way: “Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away… And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more” (2 Cor. 3:16-18 NLT).

So let your little light shine… not as a self-generated spotlight, but as a reflector of His glory. Then the glow that’s cast will highlight Him, and your influence will count for eternity.