This Little Light is None of Your Business!

December 30, 2019 by  
Filed under Faith, Faith Articles

By Alan Mowbray –

As a child, I remember singing the words,

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! (Verse 3X)
(Chorus)…Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine.

The next verse started,

Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m gonna let it shine…

We sang this in Sunday School. We sang it in Vacation Bible School. We sang it at summer camp. We sang it on the road to…. everywhere.

So what happened?

We don’t sing this song anymore. We, as a people in this country, claim that our faith is a – ahem (holy clearing of the throat) – private matter. Shhhhhhhh. Let’s all whisper in the glory of our private, personal holiness. From politicians, fellow employees, friends, family, we’ve all heard the phrase, “My faith is a private matter.”

Puleeeze! This is a deception from the pit of hell!

As people who worship the Most High God, the King of kings, our Creator, and our Father, Who loves us and Whose thoughts of each of us number greater than the sands on the shore… isn’t a bit strange that we feel the need to hide behind an excuse as weak as privacy?

Isn’t this the same God Who sent His Son to live as man, sinless, and without fault? A Son who then took a beating for our bodies’ healing, while bearing all our sins and paying the ultimate price for those sins – DEATH? Isn’t this the same Saviour who, prior to ascending into heaven, told His disciples – and ultimately, all professing Christians as well – to go forth and preach the gospel to all nations?

In The Message, the Great Commission (remember that?) goes like this:

‘“Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”’ Matthew 28:16-20 (The Message)

Where did we get the idea that faith is a private matter? And, if you profess to be a Christian and claim that, shame on you! Why profess to be a follower of Christ Jesus at all? Don’t you find it odd today, that the “private Christians” are applauded by the world, while those who stand by their beliefs and refuse to hide behind a “Privacy Please” sign hanging from their spiritual doorknobs are vilified?

Revelation 3:16 (NKJV) states, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

That’s a pretty hard statement. It describes an involuntary reaction to the taste of something that is unpleasing to God. How does your life, your fruit, taste to your Father God?
I look at myself. I’m guilty in this as well. There are times I have hid behind the privacy excuse as well. Not by saying “It’s a private matter,” but, rather, by not saying anything at all…
…when I should have spoken up.

Lord, forgive me for hiding behind this lie of privacy. I repent. Help me to stand boldly and steadfast, honoring Your Name. Thank You for Your grace. Amen.

About Alan

Founder, President, and lifetime member of his wife's fan club, Alan Mowbray enjoys loving on his two kids, building stuff, Mini Cooper maintenance and blogging about life, love and honor. Alan is a farm boy from North Dakota, a US Navy Submariner (8yrs), a foodie who can never spell "recipe" correctly the first time and a collector of spam messages. Check him out at BrandedbyTheOne.com, Twitter @brandedbytheone, and on Facebook.
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Comments

3 Responses to “This Little Light is None of Your Business!”
  1. Alan, that is STILL one of my favorite songs! And all forms of “shine the Light” are built in to my taglines, mottoes and messages. Have you heard the new version of the song by Addison Road? MOST EXCELLENT. As is this article! Thank you for writing it, and saying what needs said—what we need to hear. Instead of “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,” let’s all sing “Let is shine, let it shine, let it shine!” And the cool thing is, we don’t even have to have our own special light to shine. We just need to reflect HIS Light.

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