A faithful Christian must find the proper balance between “shining his light” and “letting his light shine.” We have a responsibility in this dark, sinful world, to unashamedly shine the light of the gospel, holding fast daily to His word, teaching it to those who are lost in the depths of iniquity (cf. Phil. 2:14-16). At the same time, we have a responsibility to let the light of the gospel shine through our lives, in our speech, in our conduct, in our choices, in the example that we set for others (cf. Matt. 5:13-16).
The key is this—when others look at us, they need to see Christ. If they see a haughty spirit or a holier-than-thou attitude, they don’t see Christ. If they see a heart of I’m-too-good-for-you or I’m-too-cool-for-this, they don’t see Christ. Even within the church, if others (including children) look at you and see a lack of participation in worship, a lack of involvement in Bible study, a less-than-supportive attitude toward the elders or programs they devise for the congregation, are they seeing Christ? What others see on the outside is a reflection of what’s inside.