The Bible talks about exposing deeds of darkness. For the longest time, I thought it meant to find evildoers and go up to them, wagging a finger and telling them what they did wrong. As in, “You dirty rotten evildoer you! How dare you (fill in the appropriate sin that I’m not guity of)! Don’t you know that is just plain wrong?”

I like to think I’ve grown up since then and come to see things differently. Exposing the darkness is not so much calling darkness dark, but showing it for what it really is by your deeds of light. That is, they should see a difference in you and me.

If all we do is tell them how wrong they are and never show the right way, what good is that? If we claim to follow a better Way and our actions don’t bear out our words, what kind of faith is that?

This is not try harder and do better. This is about being vulnerable and transparent and letting the light of Christ shine through you. It’s about putting His light in a place where it will shine brightest (on a city on a hill rather than under the shrubbery). It’s about being available and willing at every moment of every day for God to do in you whatever He wishes.

The really amazing part is that even if your light is tiny, it is still enough to overcome the darkness. Even if your witness seems pitiful and weak, your willing and surrendered heart still touches the heart of God and He blesses what you do. He takes your little and turns it into a whole lot.

So let your light shine. Dwight Moody said something to the effect that lights don’t go around firing cannons and shouting into bullhorns to announce themselves; they just shine. If we are surrendered to God, we don’t have to use gimmicks and tricks to draw people’s attention to us. Our light shining will be enough.

As always, I believe. Help my unbelief.