We live in a mixed up world where light and darkness exists at the same time. All around us we have both good and bad things going on. Picture the homeless man sitting on the sidewalk because he was evicted from his home. This coexists with a stranger offering him some food as he walks by him. The darkness alongside the light.

God wants to use us so much. He wants us to be a light so we will shine into the darkness of people’s lives. He wants us to be like a city on a hill for all to see. 

God wants to use us so much. He wants us to be a light so we will shine into the darkness of people’s lives. Share on X

But what happens if we feel we are not bright enough to shine because we have hidden dark areas in our own life?

For a while I use to think I was unfit to represent a light from God. I always thought I had to be perfect. After all, who wants to receive hope from someone who doesn’t have all their shit together? 

I use to look at other people in ministry and see how perfect and together they were. I thought I had to be like them in order to minister to other people. It felt like I came up short compared to everyone else. 

It’s taken me a while, but I have realised that I don’t need to be perfect to show others what the light can look like in the darkness. God isn’t calling us to have all our shit figured out before we can serve Him. The people in this world are not daft. They can see when Christianity looks fake and they won’t want any part of it. 

What the people of the world needs to see when they are in their deepest, darkest places are people who show courageous vulnerability. They need people who are honest with what they show in their lives. When the world sees this, they see the light of God within us. 

So, here I am, with the rough edges I have and the darkness I carry. I’m ready to be the city on a hill for all to see. 

Suggested listening 

City on a Hill by Nick & Becky Drake

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This post was written for the Five Minute Friday Community. A number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt and write to our hearts content, but only for five minutes (or there abouts).

This weeks word prompt is ‘city’. Click here if you want to see what other people wrote. You can also have a go yourself. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘city ’?