Reminder: It’s Important to Be a Light to Everyone in Your Life

As I was recently preparing to go back to work after a long weekend, I specifically prayed for God to help me be a light to the people around me: 

Dear God, I’m not sure how long You’re going to have me stay at [my company], but I pray that while I’m here, You’ll help me be a light to my coworkers. I pray that in whatever way You ask, I will lead them to You. Is there someone You want me to share the gospel with?

But that morning, rather than being presented with an opportunity to share the gospel, I was presented with an opportunity to help our office manager take care of a water leak.

Our office manager is one of the few Christians who works at my company.

She’s a kind, gentle girl who does her best to make sure that everyone in our office has everything that they need at all times.

I don’t know her very well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she often feels weary of our worldly work culture, as I do.

And through that opportunity to help her wipe up a pool of water that had gathered in our office kitchen, I felt like God was telling me this: “Be a light to the other lights in your office who are trying to represent me well but are wearied from the darkness surrounding them.”

Related: Shine Your Light For Others

Unfortunately, sometimes Christians place so much emphasis on representing Christ to people who don’t know Him, that they fail to represent Christ to people who do know Him.

We’re certainly called to love non-Christians as Jesus loves them.

However, we’re also called to love fellow believers with that same fervent love.

Paul even told the Galatians to “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10 ESV).

As I was thinking about this idea of being a light not only to the world but also to the Church, God brought to mind a passage from Luke, which is uniquely connected to this idea:

At the Last Supper, Jesus told Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32 ESV).

I think it’s significant that Jesus didn’t tell Peter, “And when you have turned again, share the gospel with the nations” or “shine your light in the dark world you live in.”

Rather, He told Peter to strengthen his brothers—his fellow Christ-followers. Jesus knew that His beloved disciples were about to experience great persecution and would need to be strengthened. 

Friends, I’m not discounting the importance of reaching unsaved individuals with the gospel; I’m simply emphasizing that sharing the gospel isn’t the only thing we’re called to do in the places that God has called us to go.

So whether you’re going to church on a Sunday morning or to your corporate office during the work week or on a mission trip in South America this summer, know that your light can—and should—shine to everyone around you.