Hi Bill,
You mentioned "There is always lots of situations that come up in daily life to let your light shine." Comments like this has always confused me as letting you light shine as you say is seen by some differently. There are people through out history that those in the church system look to that live a life letting the light shine. Some may say the Pope, Mother Theressa or even Gandhi lived a life of letting there light shine but what has there lives proved?
Yes those people you mentioned did let there light shine, by seeking to do good in a corrupt world. This is the fruit of righteous character development which is always a good thing in God's eyes. There may or may not be any payback in this life for living righteously, but sooner or later as the Scripture says everyones shall give account for the work/fruit they do in this life.
Rom 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
1Co 3:13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
v. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
So it does matter how you live and the fruit you bare in this life, God will hold everyone accountable, for the few that judgment is going on now, but for the many it will come in the Lake of fire.
is the loving thing to just sit back and be quite?
So what I mean by letting your light shine in situations that come up in daily life, well I mean as we go about our lives it's rather easy to do good when things are going our way. But then we are always confronted with difficulties and trials of one sort or another and how we handle these things says something about what kind of character we have, especially to others. This is the fruit that we ultimately develop from the way we think and is reflected in our words and then is evident in our actions.
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain...
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
v. 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
Hope this better explains.
mercy, peace and love
Kat