"Making" or "Letting" our light shine?

Matt. 5:16 reads, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” NASB

I just received an email with this verse and thought and I want to camp on it for a bit...

In today’s evangelical churches, don’t we spend an inordinate amount of time “making” our light shine? Don’t we spend an incredible amount of money, time and energy “generating” (pun intended) that light? Looking for a better (bigger or whatever) bulb in which to make our light shine? Arguing about whether the glass should be frosted or clear and whether it should be incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, LED or HID? Don’t we lose respect for those who insist that the “true” bulb is the original incandescent without gas and assert that those who use gas are just that -- full of gas?

I am amazed at how many types, shapes, colors and sizes of lights there are. Sounds to me a LOT like the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ -- multi-faceted, varied and INTERESTING!

Each type of light has a purpose & function in our world. How would you like it if laptop designers decided that neon lights would be best for your laptop screen? OUCH! Or designers of cell phones decided that incandescent bulbs were the best use for lighting your keypad -- another OUCH!

There are at least 2 obvious lessons to me from this verse. Firstly, I am a certain kind of light in the Kingdom of God. I am to let that light shine -- be it incandescent, halogen, LED or something else. I am not to try to be a different kind of light. I am to BE the light I was created to be and allow the Lord to use me in His work where I serve best.

Secondly, I am to LET my light shine. I cannot generate my light. The light is the presence of the Holy Spirit resident within me. He is already there, desirous of emanating through my words, deeds and thoughts. I simply must LET Him do what He does best.

I think I’ll end here and continue my muse on this later...