When the Light Gets Personal

When the Light Gets Personal
(A Devotional Reflection)

The Scriptures speak of light in two strikingly personal ways.

In John 1:4, we’re told, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” And in Matthew 5:14, Jesus says to His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” Both statements are true, but neither can be rightly understood apart from the other. The light that shines from the believer is not their own—it is derived. And yet, it is real. It is present. It is meant to be seen.

Moses’ face shone with the glory of God after being in His presence. But over time, that visible glory faded. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3 that Moses veiled his face not just to protect the Israelites from God's brilliance, but to obscure the fading of that brilliance. The light was glorious—but it was passing.

In contrast, the light that comes through Christ is not passing. In fact, it increases. “We all,” Paul writes, “with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…” (2 Cor. 3:18). The glory we receive in Christ isn’t something we display once and cover up. It’s something we’re meant to reflect—more and more—by the power of the Spirit.

This is not a light we control. It is the radiance of the King, who rules not from a distant throne, but from the hearts of those who love Him. His reign is inward, transformational, and deeply personal.

So when Jesus says “You are the light of the world,” He’s not flattering us. He’s describing the effect of His indwelling presence. He is the Sun; we are the moon. And like the moon, we shine brightest when we face Him fully.

To live unveiled is to live unashamed of this light. To let Christ’s rule shine through us—through our words, our works, and our weakness—is to participate in a Kingdom not of this world, but in it nonetheless.

Because when the light gets personal, darkness doesn’t stand a chance.

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