Your light is needed. The adversary wants you to believe that you have nothing to offer. The world is always in our faces, telling us that we will never measure up, but this could not be further from the truth. God created you to shine, to share, to be a light to those around you. You bring hope, strength, and comfort into others’ lives. It is through us that God’s plan of happiness comes to life.
Think about it. God gave us mouths so we could smile and speak kind and uplifting words. He gave us arms and hands so we could hug each other and wipe away tears. He gave us ears so we could hear, listen, and understand one another. He gave us emotion so we could love and reach out to our brothers and sisters.
Have you ever smiled at someone in the grocery store or complimented a stranger? Have you ever gone out of your way to lift someone else, to lighten his or her load? Have you ever held someone who is hurting in your arms or sent an uplifting message to someone in need? Have you ever taken time to listen to a child, a friend, a spouse, or a family member?
All of these are ways you are allowing light to shine through you, to give God’s love and hope to those around you. These seemingly simple acts have deep meaning and purpose. They give you an opportunity to grow, to draw closer to the Savior and Heavenly Father, and to hold up your light for the world.
One of my favorite things to do is to mountain bike in cold wintery weather. I love bundling up and feeling the crisp air on my face and body as I bike. I love smelling the air and listening to the sounds around me. I love feeling the snow under my bike tires, fresh and clean. But my favorite part of mountain biking in the cold weather is when the sun comes up over the top of the mountains or out from behind the clouds and the heat from the sun hits me, instantly warming me up. When my hands and feet and lips are frozen, the sun suddenly gives me new energy and a determination to keep going forward. I always try to take a minute and soak up all of the heat I can.
That same energy can be felt when we share our light with those around us. We can give hope and new energy to those around us when we have the courage to share our light. The Lord says in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men.” I have often wondered why our Heavenly Father asked us to do this. It can be tempting to hide our light from the world because it feels safer and easier, but I have learned that when I live my life hiding my light, my personal growth stops, my happiness dims, my motivation weakens, and my purpose fades. Keeping our light from those around us can feel safer, but it is actually dimming our personal light.
A few months ago, a good friend of mine sent me a text message asking me my favorite color. “Purple,” I texted back. I didn’t think much of her text after she sent it. I just put my phone down and continued with my day. A few hours later, I got another text from her asking if I was home. I answered simply, “Yes.”
A few minutes after that, I heard a knock at my door. When I opened it, there was my friend standing with a single purple rose in her hand. She held it out toward me and said, “You have been on my mind today.” I immediately teared up.
She then explained to me that when I responded that my favorite color was purple, she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to find a purple rose. But she went to the store anyway, hoping for the best. She said as she walked into the store and over to the floral section, she saw one single purple rose all by itself. It seemed incredible, but she quickly bought it because she knew that it was meant for me. My sweet friend went out of her way to search for, find, and bring me a rose in my favorite color all because I was on her mind that day. This experience might sound simple, but her effort to bring me that rose lifted my heart and brought light into my day—and continues to still.
The Lord gives us opportunities every day to share our light. Are we taking them?
I love this reminder from Sister Camilla Kimball, who said, “Never suppress a generous thought.”1 You never know the good that can come from it.
Our Heavenly Father is asking us to share our light for many reasons: to have opportunities to draw closer to Him and our Savior, to help us develop Christlike love for ourselves and those around us, to learn to overcome temptations and put off the natural man, to strengthen our testimonies and help us understand our purpose.
I love what Heavenly Father is teaching us in Moses 1:39: “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” This is happening through us. We are our Heavenly Father’s hands, and He trusts us. When we share the light within us, we are helping to sweep away doubts, loneliness, fears, and heartaches. We are helping others to know that they are known and loved by Heavenly Father and Christ. We are helping to carve a path to the Savior and His Atonement.
Don’t be afraid to share your light. Your light leads to Christ’s light.
