By Guest Writer, Charlotte Wood
On Sunday mornings, I’ve been volunteering in the church pre-school. Before the lesson, the kids gather to sing worship songs. One of their favorites lately has been the classic “This Little Light of Mine.”
It’s a song I’ve heard since I was a four-year-old in the church nursery. I thought I had outgrown it, but lately, those lyrics keep echoing in my head: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine. Don’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine.”
When I watch those kids sing, there’s no hesitation. They’re bold. They’re loud. They’re smiling ear-to-ear. And it makes me wonder, when did it get so hard to live like that?
Staying lit in a dark place isn’t easy. On a college campus, we face choices every day that either fuel our light or dim it. Sometimes it’s obvious: the party you know you shouldn’t go to, the situation that compromises your witness. Other times it’s subtle: gossip that feels too easy to join, apathy that makes you stay silent, habits that slowly chip away at your faith.
Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” His light lives in us, but the devil will do anything to blow it out. Temptation, shame, comparison, busyness, distraction – he doesn’t care what works, as long as it leaves our light flickering.
But why give him that power?
Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our light isn’t about recognition or image. It’s about pointing people to Jesus. It’s about living in a way that makes people stop and notice, not because of us, but because of Him.
And yes, that’s hard. Sometimes it feels easier to blend in, to dim our light, to hide under the bushel. But what if the places we’re tempted to hide are actually the exact places God is calling us to shine?
Maybe shining your light looks like saying no when everyone else says yes. Maybe it looks like walking away from something that promises fun but leaves you empty. Maybe it looks like showing kindness when sarcasm would be easier, or being bold about your faith when silence feels safer.
The kids in pre-school don’t know it, but they preach this truth every time they sing: don’t let Satan blow it out. That’s the call. That’s the challenge. Not to live perfectly, but to live lit. To live unashamed, steady and rooted in Christ.
This week, my prayer is that we’d be the kind of people who guard our flame, who refuse to let the enemy snuff it out, and who shine in a way the darkness can’t ignore.
