Growing up as the middle child, I often felt overlooked and yearned to acknowledged. Over time, I became accustomed to this invisibility until I realized I shouldn’t accept feeling less important. Darkness can deceive us by making us comfortable with obscurity. Just as sudden darkness in a familiar room can breed fear, dwelling in darkness leads to negativity and evil thoughts.  Jesus teaches that we are the light of the world, called to shine and showcase God’s goodness through our actions (1 Peter 2:9, Matthew 5:16). This light represents a new nature free from darkness and evil deeds. To hide this light diminishes its purpose: to glorify God through our good works.  as It’s crucial not to hide this inherent light. Just as a celebrity remains visible to stay relevant, we must shine forth representatives of God’s kingdom. We must uphold our new nature and reject darkness, embracing righteousness instead. Isaiah 60:1 calls us to rise above weaknesses and sin, letting our light lead others to glorify God.  To be a called-out one and a beacon of light, surrender to Jesus is necessary. He alone transforms us, freeing us from darkness and empowering us to fulfill our purpose. Therefore, as children of God, we cannot afford to remain hidden; instead, we must radiate His light and truth. As children of God, we are the world’s light and are called to be of great influence in every sphere of life we find ourselves. Being a child of God is a large pointer to who we are in him. God in himself has demonstrated greatness in diverse ways and we, his fruits are not left out in the greatness of his power. With this knowledge, we know that anywhere we go, the words we speak should leave a very great impact and exert a positive influence on those around us. Christ knows our stand in Him, that’s why he established that out of our bellies shall flow rivers of living water.  To be great means to be distinct possessing marked skill. This was the prior knowledge God knew when he called us the light of the world. However, the seed of greatness can produce fruits for a believer and those around when it is well planted in fertile soil and that is the right environment. Also, the seed of greatness will only be of good importance to itself or those around it if it knows what kind of seed it is and what has set it apart from any other seed around.  

Joy Odesina