A completely dark room is hard to navigate. A dimly lit room is only a little better. Have you noticed that the best lighting in a room is when it is hanging from the ceiling, so that the whole room benefits from it? That’s exactly what Jesus said that Christians are to be! We are to be “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14), but where are we?
Are we a “light” that is kept down low near the ground, where we are less visible? No! Are we a “light” that is shaded to keep from being too obvious or bright? No!
Christians are to be a light that is put “on a lampstand” (5:15). The lampstand would be in a prominent place in the home. It was elevated to provide maximum coverage for “all who are in the house.” Do we want our faith to be prominent in our lives, or do we hold it back? Do we seek to provide maximum coverage for all people, or are we selective about who we want to see our faith? True Christians are unshaded lamps of the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:3-7).