"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16 NIV).

If you attended college, do you remember what your college motto was? Some of them are sort of silly or seem to make no sense. Some of them go way over our heads and are so philosophical we can’t seem to understand the four-word phrase. But one thing I love about Campbell University (where I will be going to college in the fall) is how simple yet true their motto is. What is the motto, you may ask? “Leading with purpose.”

This means different things to each person, whether it is how they run a business or simply how they treat those in a group project. Regardless, the idea of “leading with purpose” tends to stick with the people it impacts. You see it in the strong leadership skills alumni have and how their leadership skills influence those whom they lead. Because the professors saw it as their duty to lead with purpose, the alumni see the purpose they each have in the world as well.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which begins with the Beatitudes, is pretty memorable (due to its striking imagery) to most people who read the passage and likely memorable to those who heard it firsthand. The part of the sermon we are looking at this week comes directly after the Beatitudes, and it talks about salt and light. Salt’s purpose is to make things salty. The purpose of light is to eliminate darkness. Jesus says that, in the same way, we also have a God-given purpose to light a path.

If you ask me, I think that sounds like we should be “leading with purpose.” It was on purpose that we were created in God’s image. It was on purpose that we were called to be God‘s children. It is on purpose that Jesus expects us to be the salt or light of the world. Verse 16 says for us to go before the world and shine our light for those to see; that is, it is our duty to lead our community with the salt and light we have purposely been made to be. 

How will you be the light that guides those around you this week? Maybe you will share something encouraging with them, or help them find something to smile about, or even lead people to think about Jesus by giving them a simple “Jesus loves you.”