Light of the World

Jesus said we’re the light of the world, and we shouldn’t allow our light to be hidden. Why would anyone be reluctant to let their light shine?
I remember when I was a kid, pastors would put people on a guilt trip for not witnessing and not inviting friends and strangers to church. As best I can tell, those exhortations fell on deaf ears. Telling people they should share Christ didn’t cause them to want to. With no desire to share their faith, they lived much like the rest of the world, hiding their light.
Around that time, advertising changed from a “practical” to a “feel-good” approach. We were told to quit selling the “steak.” Sell the “sizzle.” Make it look, taste, and feel good, and the naïve audience will eat it, even though it might be bad for them. To sell a new car, show a sexy girl and play romantic music. People began to salivate over owning a new car, even though their current car was paid for and ran fine.
A growing segment of our society is led by feeling, not facts, so much so that people won’t listen to facts when they think the information might damage how they feel. In the Garden of Eden, Eve was tempted by the opportunity to “be like God, knowing good and evil,” and the fruit looked good, so she ate it. The fact that God said she would die wasn’t enough to overcome the feeling that she wouldn’t die.
If evangelism seeks to change people’s minds, its goal is fundamentally flawed. We lack the power to change anyone’s mind. Even God can’t change their gift of free will, the power for people to choose their own way God’s way. Therefore, our effort should focus on letting the light of God shine through our lives. Our good behavior will not save the whole world. But it will save those who are drawn to the light while condemning those who love the darkness.
Are we approaching a day of darkness when our lights no longer shine?
I hope not.
The lamps have ceased their shining, and the wedding celebrations have been silenced. Your merchants were the greatest on Earth, charming the nations and leading the people astray. — Revelation 18:23, The Discussion Bible