Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (ESV)

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky (NIV)

Growing up, my mother used to sing a Harry Dixon Loes song to me. You might not recognize his name, but his words may bring a bit of nostalgia.

This little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine
Oh, this little light of mine
I’m going to let it shine

You can’t help but read those lyrics to the familiar melody.

Following Jesus means bringing light to a dark world. There’s no shortage of verses about this, including Jesus’ own words in John 8:12, where he says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

There are two ways to live. The dark life and the lit life. The dark life is “crooked and twisted.” The lit life is “blameless and pure.” The dark life is without Christ. The lit life is with Christ. One is marked by having the light of life in them. The other has grumbling and arguing flowing from them.

Is that surprising to you? I’d expect Paul to say something more like, your light will be noticed if you “share the Gospel, show kindness, give generously, act humbly.” Or “Be a light, read your Bible, pray, go to church.”

But what stands out most in a dark world is people who don’t grumble. Who don’t complain. Who don’t cause divisions over non-essentials. People who smile instead of frown and serve with joy instead of constant complaint. People who don’t start fights, or say sorry if they do.

We live in a world where grumbling gets attention. Complaining gets likes. Frustration with the way things are gets reshared. But this is multiplying darkness, not light. Christians are meant to be shining lights in a dark world. We have the light of life in us, and it should show.

This little light of ours is a beacon of the greater Light. If the light of the world is in you, let it shine. When your spirit wants to complain, let your light shine. And when others see your light shining bright they will know you are a child of God.

Written by Rainer Erani