A family gave a gift to the church I served in memory of a loved one. After some discussion, it was decided to use it for new lighting throughout our facility. Most of the lights in the building were been changed over to LEDs, which are brighter and more efficient than the fluorescent bulbs they replaced.

When my wife and I built and moved into a new home, we used LED lighting exclusively for the same reasons. LED lighting shows up in hats and Christmas lights and automobiles and just about any application you can think of.

LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes. They can be bright or dim and made to shine with every color in the spectrum. They are a different kind of light bulb. The operate because of something called electroluminescence. Because the power goes into them, light comes out.

As those who have been led to faith in Jesus, you have been designed to shine. Each of you is to be an LED: Light Emitting Disciple. His light has shined into your hearts, and now it is to shine through you. How will that look? It will be different for each of you. Just as LEDs cover every part of the spectrum, so should Light Emitting Disciples! The important thing is to shine.

I read about a gathering of Christian teens in Germany a few years ago. They were from countries all around the world. For two weeks these young folks ate together, worked together, and played together. At the end of the day’s official activities, they would sit and visit with one another. One night they were discussing the different ways individuals and churches share the story of salvation. Some teens from more technologically advanced countries talked about sharing Jesus through mass media and social media and handheld communication devices.

Of course, not all countries are technologically advanced, and some of the group were from such countries. One student who had been talking a lot noticed the silence of those who did not have the same technology, so she asked one of them: “Maria, how do you tell people about Jesus in your country?”

Maria said, “we don’t have TV or radio programs about Jesus. Most of the time we don’t have the money to purchase pamphlets or other things to give away. Generally, what we’ve done in the past is send one or two Christian families to live and work in a village. We’ve found that when people see what Christians are like, then they want to be Christians too.”

Wow! Let that sink in for a minute. Would that be true of us? You and I have been led to know and believe that Jesus is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord and our God, the one who paid the penalty for sin so that we could be forgiven. Is that reflected in our daily walk and talk? Scripture tells us it should be so.

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12)

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

You have been designed to shine with the Light of Christ as a Light Emitting Disciple. And you may be the one the Holy Spirit will work through to lead someone else to faith in Jesus.