You might have learned the song, THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE, as a child. It is easy to sing and the lyrics easy to remember. However, the message is powerful. Consider what your little light is, where it shines, on whom it shines and what impact it has. The song was written by Harry Dixon Loes in the 1920s. The words go like this:
This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
The second, third and fourth verses contain these bold statements:
Hide it under a bushel? NO
I’m going to let it shine
Don’t let Satan blow it out!
I’m going to let it shine
Let it shine till Jesus comes!
I’m going to let it shine.
As Christians we have a little light in us that glows from our Christian faith. It might be a little light but it is up to us as to how far away it can be seen and how bright the light is to those around us. The second verse asks the question of whether we will keep our light hidden under a bushel (a common container in the 1920s) with a firm answer of NO. If our little light is not hidden, it will be seen by others. Do others know you are a Christian or do you keep your little light hidden? In the third verse, we are all faced with temptations from Satan who would like to blow out our little light. It is up to us to keep our light brightly burning to protect it from the wiles of Satan and all those who work for him.
The last verse proclaims: LET IT SHINE TILL JESUS COMES. This means that if the return of Jesus does not come until we are passed away, that we will keep it burning as long as we are alive. There is no retirement from being a Christian. We are to let our light shine as long as life is in us.
So what is this little light? The light within us is what we believe, what has become the basis for all of our important decisions, how we have developed a Christian worldview. This means that the little light affects how we see ourselves, our family, our friends, our work, our neighborhood, our State or Province, our nation and everything else that we encounter. This little light of mine gives us a Christ-like view of everything around us and gives us the desire to have it shine on others and in others so that they might have a little light of their own.
STUDY QUESTIONS
The primary purpose of the study questions is to help the reader more fully grasp the significance and implications of the topic. Recipients may send your responses or comments to God’s Plan for Service by email to [email protected] or mail to GPS, 1226 Knox Valley Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027.
- What is the condition of your little light? Does it burn brightly so that it is seen by others?
- What impact has your little light had to the best of your knowledge?
- If someone stopped you to ask about your little light, could you explain it in terms that would be understood by others?
Kenneth Oosting, Ph D
