You can shine brightly!
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5 NIV)
When you compare light with darkness you discover a very important truth, darkness does not exist. Darkness is only the absence of light. Think of it this way, you can have a flashlight but you cannot have a flash-dark. You cannot shine darkness because it does not exist. You cannot bring darkness into a room full of light and extinguish light, but you can, however, bring light into a dark room and extinguish darkness.
Light and darkness are metaphors for good and evil
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7 NIV)
Jesus is the light of the world
There is another Light, a Light so important that Jesus, the Son of God, came to both declare and impart it to men. John 8:12 (NIV), says, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.’” The allegory used by the Lord in this verse speaks of the light of His Truth, the light of His Word, the light of eternal Life. Those who perceive the true Light will never walk in spiritual darkness.
Jesus Christ brings light to the darkness of any heart. It is the Good News about the truth of God’s love that is capable of overcoming any obstacle, no matter how dark.
God’s light is shed upon the darkness of all sin, allowing human beings the opportunity to escape the dark grip of sin for the light of God’s love. This is why (and how) “the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 NIV)
Therefore…
Jesus tells us to keep our light out in the open where it can do good.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16 NKJV)