Let Your Light ShineSample

Purpose > Perfection

We are called to be the lights of the world, but many Christians lack confidence and boldness to put that calling into practice. Let’s discuss why.

As a pastor for almost four decades, and especially after having worked with young people for most of that time, I know from experience that much of the problem stems from a belief that only a certain kind of person—an ideal Christian with a distinct personality—has the ability to shine for God. It is so easy for us to paint a picture in our mind of this “super Christian” person with no faults and challenges, elevated high above the rest of us.

And if you don’t recognize yourself in that perfect image you’ve created in your mind, it is also easy to assume that “shining the light” is not for you. You assume that you lack whatever is needed and subconsciously disqualify yourself from even the remote possibility that you could actually be the person who flicks the light switch and makes a difference for Jesus.

Oh, how I wish there were a button I could push to instantly and supernaturally set you free from this devastating lie! If we would only see the truth—that all of us are created to shine, that all of us have the ability in Christ to do so, and that all of us have been entrusted with a unique flavor of light that only we can shine in our unique world—then the church would be turned into a Jesus revolution, the gospel would sweep the earth, and the kingdom of God would flourish.

In the absence of such a magic button, let us try to deconstruct this lie and remind ourselves of the truth of God’s Word. There are three important things we need to understand to shine our lights to the world. Today, let’s talk about the first.

Truth #1: Shining your light does not require perfection.

If it did, none of us would be able to shine at all. It is a lie of the enemy and a complete misconception of the message of the Bible that God demands perfection before He can use anyone for His kingdom. According to the Word of God, the reality seems to be quite the opposite way around:

"Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." — 1 Corinthians 1:26–29

When the light of God reappeared on earth through Jesus Christ, it passed by the perfectionists. The wise, the religious, the ones who considered themselves worthy of God through the way they kept the commandments of the Law, were left behind and many times became enemies of the light. Instead, Jesus chose regular, ordinary people and gave them the mission of shining for Him. The people He proclaimed to be the light of the world in the Sermon on the Mount were not theological students or participants of a pastors’ conference but fishermen, carpenters, tax collectors, former prostitutes—the kind of people no one counted on or expected anything good from.

This was all according to the wisdom of God. If the light were to shine through the perfection, wisdom, and strength of man, then man would get the glory. But if it shone through the foolish, the weak, and the unexpected, then God and God alone would be glorified.

This is exactly why it is so destructive to believe we have to reach a point of perfection before we are qualified to take an initiative and trust God to use us. The outcome of this will only be that we wait in vain for a level of excellence we will never reach while the world around us is left in darkness.

Remember, throughout the Bible God continuously used men and women who were far from perfect, people with major flaws in their lives such as Abraham, Tamar, Moses, Samson, David, Solomon, Jonah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Peter, James, and John. Does this mean our lifestyle doesn’t matter and that we can just keep on sinning and still expect to be used by God? Of course not. The Bible clearly tells us to stop sinning (Rom. 6:12), to work out our salvation in the fear of the Lord (Phil. 2:12), and not to gratify the desires of the flesh (Rom. 13:14). There is absolutely no place in Christianity for a teaching that implies we can do whatever we want, or that God’s grace means I am automatically forgiven anytime I sin.

The point is that even though God requires holiness and expects us to continuously strive so that our heart’s salvation also works its way into our minds, habits, attitudes, words, and deeds, He will not stand at the sideline and wait for a certain level of perfection before He can use you. He wants to shine through you right here and now!