Letting Your Light Shine: How to Be a Lighthouse in a Dark World

The church is not just a building or something we do on weekends—it’s who we are. We are the church, whether gathered corporately or scattered throughout our communities. This identity shapes how we live out our faith daily.

What Were the Apostles Teaching?

In Acts 2:42, we read that the early believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayer.” This could also be translated as they “persisted” or “persevered” in the apostles’ teaching.

The apostles were teaching what Jesus had taught them during their three years together. These teachings weren’t just information to accumulate but truths to live out. Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”

What Is the Greatest Commandment?

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus replied:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

This summary encapsulates everything else Jesus taught. All His commands flow from these two principles of loving God completely and loving others as ourselves.

Why Is Light So Important in Scripture?

One of the major themes throughout the Bible is the contrast between light and darkness. As believers, we’re called to be light-bearers in a dark world.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

The church collectively is meant to function as a lighthouse—guiding people safely to shore, warning of dangers, and providing hope in darkness.

How Does Darkness Keep People from Seeing the Light?

We have an enemy who wants to keep people in darkness. Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 4 that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

This is why it’s so crucial that we let Christ’s light shine through us. Like the moon reflects the sun, we’re meant to reflect the Son. We don’t generate light ourselves—we reflect Jesus.

The True Light That Gives Light to Everyone

John 1 tells us about Jesus as the true light:

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Our witness is only effective when we let Jesus’ light shine through us. When the world looks at the church, they need to see Jesus—not just religious people or institutions.

Why Do People Resist Coming to the Light?

John 3:16-21 explains this dynamic:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him… This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

The word “condemned” in this passage comes from the Greek word “crisis.” Without Jesus, people are in crisis. Our role as the church is to help them find their way out of that crisis by pointing them to Jesus—the only solution.

How Can We Be an Effective Lighthouse?

To be an effective lighthouse, we must:

Reflect Jesus accurately
Love people well, even in their brokenness
Expose darkness without condemning people
Point the way to safety and hope
Help people find their way out of crisis

When Jesus walked the earth, people who were lost flocked to Him because they felt His love. Even though He represented truth, He loved people in the midst of their mess and brokenness. This is the reflection we’re called to embody.

Life Application

This week, identify one area in your life where you struggle to reflect the light of Jesus. Maybe it’s how you drive, your behavior on social media, your attitude at work, or something else.

Every day this week, pray specifically that the Holy Spirit would help you reflect Jesus’ light in that area. Ask Him to transform that specific part of your life.
Then, commit to being the light of Jesus to one person this week. This could be through:

One meaningful conversation
One act of kindness
One invitation
One moment of genuine listening

Ask yourself:

In what areas of my life am I hiding my light rather than letting it shine?
How might my community change if our church truly functioned as a lighthouse?
Who is one person in my life currently walking in darkness who needs to see the light of Christ?

Remember, we don’t need to reach everyone at once. By touching one life at a time with Christ’s light, we can make a profound difference. Your one act of kindness might not change the whole world, but it might change someone’s entire world.

This series may be taken as a course offered by the Online Bible Institute. For more information check out the Keys Vineyard Ministries Courses page.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.