March 16th Devotion

The Power of Your Presence – Bayless Conley

Jesus said in Matthew 5:16,
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

The way you let your light shine is just being yourself around people. Witness everywhere you go through your life, and use words, if necessary.

You can sow seeds just by showing people that you are real. Some people call it friendship evangelism: being a genuine friend, touchable, genuinely caring for people, just letting your light shine.

Jesus also said you are a city set on a hill. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nobody lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. You and I are to live a life that brightly shines the gospel to the unsaved.

I read a story years ago about a guy who had his doorbell hooked up to a big buzzer in the back room. The buzzer was really loud. He wanted to change it and put a light there instead that would illuminate when somebody pushed the doorbell. So he rigged it up to do just that.

The problem was the light would barely illuminate. He could not figure out what was wrong, so he called an electrician friend. His friend looked at it and told him, "Oh, you don't understand. It takes more power to shine than it does to make noise."

That is very true. Jesus said, "Let your light shine." Without having to necessarily confront people, they will just notice something different about you. If you are walking with God, it is reflected in your attitude, your work ethic, and your countenance. It is a discernible difference that will lead some people to ask about your faith. You will be able to sow seeds just with your presence.