Finding True Happiness

KEY VERSE: “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” —Matthew 5:16

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:1-16

THE truth which the Heavenly Father has given us to witness to mankind is a “light within” us—not our own light, but the knowledge of Jesus, our Redeemer and Savior, it is this knowledge that glorifies our Heavenly Father. Paul wrote, “We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”—II Cor. 4:5-7

From this it is apparent that when Jesus said, Let “your” light shine before men, he referred to the light that would be given to us concerning him. This is our light in the sense that we make it our own by our wholehearted acceptance of it, and our complete yielding to its influence in our lives. In proclaiming this light we are not our own representatives, but Christ’s, his ambassadors, holding forth the “Word of life” received from the Lord.—Phil. 2:15,16

One of the elements of Christ-likeness is self-sacrificing zeal in the proclamation of the truth concerning the divine plan. We have a beautiful example of this in the case of Peter and John, who so faithfully proclaimed the glad tidings in the face of much opposition. We read concerning them, “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”—Acts 4:13

In our text, Jesus reminds us that men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel. Thus he implies that we might not make the proper use of the truth, therefore would fail to be among those who are the light of the world. Negligence of our opportunities is undoubtedly one of the ‘bushels’ under which we could hide the light of truth. Erroneous views as to the Lord’s purpose in giving us the truth also serve as ready excuses for unfaithfulness.

The Lord’s will for us is to proclaim the message. This is our vocation, and we are to give all diligence in the ordering of our lives along the lines of righteousness that we may be fit ambassadors of the kingdom message, and then we are to lay down our lives proclaiming it.

In symbolic language, Solomon indicates the possibility of seeking excuses for not sowing the precious seeds of truth. He wrote, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”—Eccles. 11:4-6

Observing the winds and the clouds, as mentioned by Solomon, suggests looking for excuses not to sow and reap because conditions are not favorable. This is not the proper attitude, he explains; for, after all, we do not understand how the Lord accomplishes his purposes through the truth which we proclaim. This is the Low’s province, and our responsibility is to sow the seed in the morning and in the evening, whenever and wherever we have the opportunity knowing that the Lord will prosper the message according to the good purposes of his own will. It is God that gives the increase.

As we observe the Lord’s people throughout the world, we are impressed with their great zeal for the truth and its proclamation. The brethren of Christ, his zealous followers and ambassadors, have always been small in number, a ‘little flock’. (Luke 12:32) This is more applicable today than it was earlier in the harvest period, yet these few are holding forth the light to a degree that makes them as a ‘city set on an hill’!

Faithfulness in our service as ambassadors, serving in the manner outlined in his Word for an approved ministry, is one of the ways in which we will make our calling and election sure to a place with Jesus in his kingdom, to live and reign with him a thousand years.

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