"U" Verse - Don't Put Your "Light" UNDER a bowl - Let Your Light Shine

Do you ever wonder if your contributions really matter? Ken Mercer tackles this profound question through the lens of Matthew 5:15 - the powerful "U-Verse" about not hiding your light under a bushel. This episode challenges listeners to recognize and unleash their God-given talents rather than keeping them concealed.

Ken shares two compelling stories that bring this scripture to life. First, we meet a dedicated Sunday school teacher questioning her 20-year impact on students. Then, a Gideon member who distributes Bibles despite once dreaming of becoming a "big missionary." 

Both stories illustrate how seemingly small acts of faithful service create ripples of influence far beyond what we can immediately observe. These aren't just nice anecdotes - they're powerful examples of people refusing to hide their light.

The concept of "ETC Christians" (those who attend church only at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) serves as a gentle warning. While not judging these individuals, Ken expresses concern that their light remains "under a bushel" most of the year. The danger isn't just that such individuals aren't making their full contribution to the world; it's that their unused gifts might gradually fade away altogether.

Are you letting your unique light shine consistently?

The episode concludes with the beloved children's song "This Little Light of Mine," celebrating its centennial in 2025. 

Though simple in lyrics, this song perfectly captures the profound truth of Matthew 5:15 with its defiant response: "Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm gonna let it shine!" Even children grasp this essential spiritual principle - our lights were meant to shine brightly, not be hidden away.

What talent or gift might you be keeping under a bushel? God has equipped you to make a unique difference in this world. Join us as we explore how to let our lights shine brightly and purposefully every day.

Please also visit "Mercer Moments in American History" at our YouTube Channel! We are dedicated to both current events, and major moments in American History that for some reason are now erased, deleted from our textbooks and classrooms.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Ken Mercer Show.
Our legal entity is MercerMoments in American History LLC.
We're going through the Bible Athrough Z.
Some of my favorite verses andsongs that I want to share with
you Today is the U-verse, andthe key word is under under,
where God tells us do not putyour faith and your values and

(00:23):
your talents, do not take thatcandle, that light, and put it
under a bushel or under a basketor under a bowl.
No, let your light shine.
Are you ready?
You verse neither do peoplelight a lamp and put it under a
bowl.
Matthew, chapter 5, verse 15.
Let's repeat that you verseneither do people light a lamp

(00:47):
and put it under a bowl.
Matthew 5, verse 15.
A powerful verse.
It talks about all of us, thatGod has given us so many gifts
and talents, and are we usingthose gifts and talents?
The whole chapter there talksabout you and I lighting the
world, making a difference.
Chapter there talks about youand I lighting the world, making

(01:07):
a difference, helping to changethe world in whatever way that
you and I can.
I'm going to tell you two quickstories, one about a Sunday
school teacher and one about aman who worked for a group
called Gideon's International.
The teacher told me you know,mr Mercer, when I became a
Christian I was so excited and Iwanted to tell the whole world
about my faith.
So I volunteered in church andI began teaching Sunday school
for the fourth and fifth grade,and I've done that for 20 years.

(01:30):
Well, that's great.
Well, I'm not sure if thosekids are really listening to
what I'm saying.
I said, ma'am, you're plantingseeds and you don't know if
those seeds will sprout that day, that week, that year, maybe 20
years later.
But your job is to take yourlight and spread that light, and
not keep your light under abushel or under a basket or
under a bowl to let that lightshine.

(01:53):
That's pretty key, becauseunder a bushel, basket or bowl,
two things can happen to yourlight.
One the light is hidden.
But worse too, that bushel,that basket, that bowl might
extinguish your light and itgoes out.
The second story about a man.
I met this man through a greatGideon leader, a great Christian
family Gene, dr Gene and MaryRyder.

(02:15):
I met this friend of theirs andI asked him what do you do?
I'm with the Gideons.
Well, that's great.
Well, I always dreamed I mightbe a big missionary or preacher,
but all I do is pass out Bibles.
I said what do you mean?
Well, with the Gideons, once amonth I go to a high school or
college or a prison and we passout free Bibles.
I said, well, that's wonderful,that's your light.

(02:37):
God's using your talent.
You're not putting your talentunder a bushel or under a basket
, under a bowl, you're lettingyour light shine.
Now I'm going to turn it aroundon you.
I talked to other people too andI love everyone, not judging,
but I have a lot of friends,what I call ETC Christians.
Etc mean E-Easter,t-thanksgiving, c-christmas.

(02:59):
You probably know what I mean.
People go to church, maybe one,two, three times a year.
You probably know what I mean.
People go to church maybe one,two, three times a year and they
say, well, I give my donation.
My fear is, maybe the rest ofthe year you're light and I'm
glad you're at church with yourfamily and I'm glad you're
giving donations.
But what about the rest of theyear?
Is your light, your gifts, yourtalent, are they under that

(03:20):
bushel, under that basket, underthat bowl?
And again, because the fear is,not only is your light not
shining, but the air might suckout, it might extinguish your
light.
You see what I'm talking about.
God has all of us, has giftsand talents to let our light
shine and let it shinethroughout the world.

(03:42):
We are here, you and I, to makea difference.
Now there's an old song that Ilove.
It's an old children's song,and actually this is the summer
of the year 2025.
And this year this song turned100 years old, and I know you
know this song.
Please sing it with me.
It's taken from this verseMatthew 5, 15, where the

(04:03):
children say Hide it under abushel.
No, I'm going to let it shine.
Sing with me.
Hide it under a bushel?
No, I'm going to let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel no, I'mgoing to let it shine, let it
shine, let it shine, let itshine, let it shine, let it

(04:23):
shine.
Oh, this little light of mine,I'm going to let it shine.
Oh, jesus, this little light ofmine, I'm going to let it shine
.
Hallelujah, this little lightof mine, I'm going to let it
shine, let it shine, let itshine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel?

(04:44):
No, I'm gonna let it shine.
God bless the children, becausesometimes the best sermon, the
best sermons I've heard,oftentimes come from little
children.
So there you are, my friends,the key word is under.
So there you are, my friends,the key word is under.
Don't take your light, yourfaith and your talents and put

(05:08):
it under a bushel, under abasket, under a bowl, because
two things could happen First ofall, your life's not shining
and, secondly, that couldextinguish your light.
No, god gave us talents and Godwants us to be the light of the
world.
He wants us to make adifference, to let our light
shine.
Thank you, my friends.
God bless you and your light.

(05:29):
Let it shine, let it shine, letit shine.