Blowing Horns or Shining Lights …

{Last week a friend and I were chatting about social media, and how sadly it can be used to “toot our own horns” so to speak. We were contemplating the difference between tooting horns and shining lights, and it reminded me of this. I hope this can be encouraging to you today as you seek to let your light so shine before men that they glorify God in heaven!}

~

From the other room I can hear Dutch singing as he plays,

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

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

Children, blessedly self-forgetful, sing that song so happily and easily, don’t they? But it gets complicated as adults because we get complicated. As adults, boldly holding our “light” up in the air seems proud, obnoxious. And besides, isn’t “letting our light shine” contrary to scripture where it says not to toot your own horn and to let your giving be in secret? It doesn’t seem very modest to let your light shine. What, please, does this mean?

That’s what I was wondering as I read through the Sermon on the Mount the other morning.

Jesus says:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, 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 5:14-16).

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for them you will have no reard from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:1-4).

Do these contradict each other? At first it seems they do. Some thoughts:

:: Letting light shine is positional and natural. Blowing horns is loud and forced.  

To actually hide light takes effort. It doesn’t take much effort just to let it shine. It should be natural. Jesus isn’t saying we need to force anything, He’s just saying, Don’t hide the good work God is doing in and through you. If God is changing your habits, your desires, your family, don’t hide it. If people ask or you have a natural opportunity, openly share.  To hide what God has done in and through you is to rob Him of glory.

On the other hand, blowing horns is for those who don’t have any natural light to share. Their lives don’t shine so they must draw attention in loud and forced ways. In the words of DL Moody,

A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.

The real work of God will shine. Holiness, humility, the fruit of the Spirit, these things shine without a need for horns.

:: The two key questions are these: Who is this for? And Who gets the glory? 

Who is this for? They key clause in Matthew 6 was “in order to be seen by others.” The motive is the key, not necessarily being seen or unseen. Living for God or man? We can hide our light because we fear man, and we can blow our horn because we fear man. Oftentimes the difference in outward action is indiscernible, the only real difference is the motive. All our works are for God, but if others look on and see, hallelujah. Which brings us to...

Who gets the glory? Notice the light shines so that “others may see and give God glory” and yet the hypocrites blow their horns to receive “praise from men.”  It’s all about glory. God is all about His glory, and we all are prone to be glory hounds, seeking to steal what is rightfully God’s. Shining light gives glory to God, blowing horns draws attention to ourselves.

So perhaps two helpful questions to take with us are these:

Is this forced? and Who gets the glory? 

The real work of God in our lives will be characterized by humility and gratitude, and we will naturally shine. Insecurity will make us blow horns, but godly confidence will enable us to lean back, rest, abide, and shine for the glory of God. 

{Hide it under a bushel? No! I pray you let it shine today.

Thanks for reading…}

*Originally shared Dec. 2011.