“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people. 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 the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).

When I was a child, some parents would say, “Children should be seen and not heard.” This was usually when there was a gathering and the adults were talking. The children were expected to allow the adults to talk and avoid interrupting the conversation.

Let us reword it slightly for the children of God. Sometimes the children of God should be seen and not heard. We are often quite good at making ourselves heard, but our testimony about Jesus can suffer because people do not see the evidence of salvation in our lives.

Matthew 5:13-16 reminds us that we should let others see our faith through our actions and thereby be drawn to Jesus. Jesus said, “Let them see your good deeds.” Here, He does not mention our words.

Christians should be people of action. Yes, we need to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but first, we should give people a reason why they should listen to us. St. Francis of Assisi that all the brothers in his order should “preach by their works” even if they do not get the chance to preach sermons. (Many people misquote this as “Preach the Gospel at all times, use words if necessary.” The blog, All Things for Good, offers a good summary of St. Francis’ teaching on this subject.)

How do people know you are a Christian? Do they see all the Bible-verse memes that you share on social media? Do they read your holy bumper stickers? Or, do they see you serving others with the love of God in Jesus’ name? Do they hear your words or do they see your faith in action?

Let them see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. A godly life will prove the genuineness of your faith and provide evidence for the Gospel you preach.

Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus Christ said that His disciples are the light of the world. Empower me to do the works You have prepared for me to do so that others may see Your Spirit working through me and glorify You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How can you use both your words and works to point others to Jesus? Share your thoughts below.

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.