“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 ESV
Recently, I’ve considered my works, or actions done to the glory of God and the good of others. The other day, a sales person came to my door. I didn’t really want to engage him, and it worked out perfectly that he came by while both my wife and I were working from home. I didn’t go to the door but spoke with him briefly through my doorbell phone app. Of course, he attempted to “sell me” quickly through the device. Yet, as he was finishing his pitch, I noticed him sip a small amount of water from his almost empty bottle. Immediately, I considered that it was hot and without much thought, I asked him if he wanted a cold bottle of water. He answered affirmatively, and I obliged him. I quickly gave him the bottled water, ready to rush back to my home workstation. He accepted it and left, and I was immediately convicted. I didn’t share the Gospel with him nor did I give him one of the many Gospel tracts I had. In my head I considered that he likely walked away thinking, “That’s a really nice guy; we need more people like that.” My heart sank, and corrective thoughts immediately came to mind. I know it’s conjecture but, in a way, the idea that the salesman may have walked away exalting me and not God is troubling. I want God to be glorified and next time, I’ll certainly hand him a tract along with the water, but it’s still troubling.
The concept of doing good works to the glory of God is a good, necessary part of true Christian living. Matthew 5:16 is not the only area that supports this idea; there’s also Eph. 2:10, Col.1:10, and several other passages that directly or indirectly convey this concept. Yet, Matthew 5:16 is the one that convicts me most. I’ve often wondered, “How will people glorify my Father—the God of all creation, the only true God—through the Person of Christ if they don’t know that my actions are done because of and on behalf of the Lord?”
I think the answer to that question reveals an implicit part of Jesus’s statement. Namely, in order for people to glorify God for the good we do, we often need to express things within a Christian context. The surrounding context, vv.14-15, also supports this concept. In those verses from Jesus’s sermon on the mount, He tells His audience that their “light” (the good within the people of God that stems from God Himself), much like a candle or lamp, does no one any good if it is hidden. As such, by application, the earlier example with the salesman should probably have, at a minimum, a clear direction to Christ because it was possible and fitting. That possible and fitting part is key, as I realize those two things aren’t always present in our daily interactions.
Am I saying that every time we do anything good, we must have a large white “I love Jesus” tee shirt? No, but I’m saying that we may at times lack intentionality in our witness. I’m saying that my personal conviction is that, at times, I enjoy being perceived as good, that my heart has a desire, however small, to be well-received and applauded by men. What I’m really submitting to you is that there may be the small sinister part of me that causes me to forget and omit Christian expressions of God or sharing my faith with others, when it’s possible and appropriate to do so. I think this is one way of hiding one’s light (vv. 14-15). Perhaps this is true for you? Perhaps not? These are merely expressions on a blog, and I am aware that my mental consciousness is not the test of righteousness. At the same time, it’s certainly not a bad thing if we are more mindful of the various ways we can glorify God and seek Him in order to do so. You know, really living out Matt. 5:16 for His glory.