Covered by the World

The Light Was Never Gone. We Just Stopped Letting It Shine

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
— John 1:5 (ESV)

I was walking this morning thinking about light and darkness.

We talk a lot about how dark the world has become. Anger, division, greed, comparison, entitlement, fear, and confusion surround us, while people search everywhere for identity and purpose.

The darkness has not overcome the Light.

Not might not.

Not hopefully won’t.

Has not.

Darkness cannot defeat the Light of Christ.

So that made me wonder:

If darkness cannot overcome the Light, why does it sometimes seem so difficult to see the Light in those of us who claim to carry it?

The question isn’t whether the Light has gone out. Scripture has already answered that.

The question is whether we have allowed the world to cover the Light within us.

You Are the Light of the World

Jesus said:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
— Matthew 5:14 (ESV)

Think about what Jesus is saying.

He doesn’t tell His followers that they should try to become light someday.

He says:

You are the light of the world.

Of course, we aren’t the source of that Light.

Jesus is.

He said:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
— John 8:12 (ESV)

God is the source. Christ is the Light. And through our relationship with Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, His Light becomes visible through the lives we live.

But Jesus doesn’t stop after telling us that we are the light.

He immediately warns us that light can be covered.

“Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”
— Matthew 5:15 (ESV)

The lamp under the basket didn’t stop being a lamp.

It became covered.

But it could no longer illuminate the room the way it was intended to.

And I wonder how often that describes us.

Covered by the World

I used to think darkness always had to look obviously dark.

• Addiction.
• Violence.
• Hatred.
• Dishonesty.
• Sexual immorality.

But I am beginning to realize that some of the most effective coverings don’t look dark at all.

• Pride.
• Control.
• Comparison.
• Entitlement.
• Approval.
• Resentment.
• Distraction.
• Comfort.

None of those things has the power to extinguish Christ.

But they can begin covering the life of a believer.

Layer after layer.

We still know the Word.

We still believe in Jesus.

We may still call ourselves Christians.

But Monday through Saturday, our lives can begin looking almost identical to the world around us. We think, react, spend, speak, worry, compare, forgive, argue, and define success in many of the same ways.

We know the Word, but we are living by the world.

The Light hasn’t disappeared.

It has become covered.

When the World Starts Defining Our Identity

This is where I think the covering becomes especially dangerous.

The world is competing to tell us who we are.

The world tells us our identity comes from what we accomplish.

• What we own.
• What people think about us.
• How successful we appear.
• How attractive we are.
• How much influence we have.
• Whether we measure up to the person standing beside us.

And if we consume enough of those messages, eventually we can start forgetting who God says we are.

That’s when the covering doesn’t just affect our behavior.

It begins affecting our identity.

We start living from what the world says about us instead of what God says about us.

And Scripture warns us:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
— Romans 12:2 (ESV)

The battle before the battle.

Before the world covers our behavior, it usually gets access to our thinking.

Word or World

Every day we are being formed by something.

The Word tells me to surrender.
The world tells me to control.

The Word tells me to humble myself.
The world tells me to elevate myself.

The Word tells me to forgive.
The world tells me to hold onto the offense.

The Word tells me to give.
The world tells me to accumulate.

The Word tells me to love my enemy.
The world tells me to destroy anyone who opposes me.

The Word tells me my identity is found in Christ.
The world tells me my identity must constantly be proven.

One reveals the Light.

The other keeps adding coverings.

And the danger is not necessarily that we stop belonging to Christ.

It can be much quieter than that.

We simply become more influenced by the world than transformed by the Word.

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

This is why I am beginning to see every morning differently.

Scripture tells us:

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”
— Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV)

Every morning I wake up and prepare to walk into a world that will compete for my mind.

That doesn’t mean I need to become saved again.

It means I need to draw near to Christ again.

Jesus said:

“Abide in me, and I in you.”
— John 15:4 (ESV)

Maybe abiding is part of tending the lamp.

Prayer.

Scripture.

Surrender.

Remembering who I belong to before the world gets an opportunity to tell me who I should become.

I am not creating the Light every morning.

I am preparing myself to walk in it.

Paul wrote:

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
— Galatians 5:25 (ESV)

That requires intentionality.

Because the moment we walk out the door, the world begins offering baskets.

The World Needs Brighter and Louder

This is where Christians—and the Church—must seriously examine how we represent Christ to the world.

We spend a lot of time talking about how dark the world has become.

Maybe we should spend more time asking whether we are shining brightly enough for anyone to see the difference.

Jesus didn’t call us to hide from the darkness.

He told us to be light within it.

And being light isn’t simply a matter of talking more about Christianity. It is living so that we become increasingly recognizable as followers of Christ.

• More humble.
• More gracious.
• More forgiving.
• More loving.
• More willing to stand when standing costs us something.

But there are also times when shining requires speaking.

• Not louder in anger.
• Not louder in condemnation.
• Louder in truth.
• Louder about the hope found in Jesus Christ.

Because being light was never meant to be invisible.

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

Someone else is supposed to see it.

And when I allow the world to cover that Light, it doesn’t only affect me.

It may affect the person standing beside me who desperately needs to see something different.

• If I respond with the same anger…
• Need the same approval…
• Participate in the same outrage…
• And define success exactly the same way…

What exactly are they supposed to see?

And if I never speak about the One responsible for the difference in my life…

How are they supposed to know where the Light came from?

Take Off the Cover

Maybe the greatest threat isn’t that darkness will overcome the Light.

Maybe the greater danger for believers is becoming so covered by the world that people can no longer clearly see the Light within us.

So maybe the question each morning isn’t:

Do I still have the Light?

Maybe the better question is:

What have I allowed to cover it?

Pride?

Fear?

Comfort?

Something I have allowed the world to attach to my identity?

Bring it into the Light.

Take off the cover.

Because Jesus didn’t merely call us to have the Light.

He called us to shine it.

The darkness cannot overcome the Light.

So instead of spending so much time fearing how dark the world has become, perhaps those of us who follow Christ should ask a better question:

How much brighter would this world become if we simply stopped covering the Light He already placed within us?

The world has enough darkness.

Live by the Word, and be the light God designed you to be.