Don't Blend In

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

Even adults can get happy when they sing the children’s praise song, “This Little Light of Mine”. You almost can’t help but smile being reminded of our purpose and calling in life. We were not created to conform, we were born to shine. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

You might be thinking to yourself, what difference can one person make? The answer is all the difference in the world. Consider two individuals in the Bible and the consequences of their lives. Read from Romans chapter 5 and see the contrast, notice the difference a single life can make, good or bad. Romans 5:17-19 says comparing the actions of Adam and Jesus, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” What a difference a life lived for God can make.

Let your light shine today, friend, and make a difference in someones world today. None of us can serve everybody like Jesus did, but everybody can serve somebody. Here are a few suggestions from the Word of God on the difference each of us can make. James 5:20 says, “let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” That reminds me of the story of the Syrian Monk named Telemachus? In about 400 AD, in Rome the church was suffering tremendous persecution. The Colosseum was filled with spectators watching blood sport as Christians were tortured and fed to the lions as people would sit and watch as their entertainment.  

One day Telemachus, who was in the crowd to see what was going on looked on in horror. As he saw what was happening, he was sickened by it. And so this small in stature Syrian monk stood tall and gets up from his seat and runs down, jumps over the outside railing, and goes out into the arena floor, and starts waving his arms saying, “in the name of Christ, stop this”. Because he interrupted their entertainment, they ordered Telemachus to be thrust through with a sword and killed. Some accounts say he was stoned to death. The bottom line is, the innocent blood of Telemachus filled the arena floor when he died that day.

But something interesting happened. Over the next few months, the number of people who came to watch the killing of human beings for sport began to diminish. Because one man stood up, because one man wouldn’t be intimated by evil, the hearts of many were convicted and just a few months later the crowds coming to be entertained by this blood sport had fallen off so much they ended the practice all together. And all because one man refused to blend in to the crowd and stood up and let his light shine.

Don’t be intimidated by evil. Lets you and I determine to be those who stand up for Jesus today, refusing to blend remembering all the while that, “those who don’t stand for something will fall for anything.”


“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

Phippians 2:13


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