When the Lights Come On

One of the most exciting things in life is to see people respond to the Truth. When things start to add up, when it starts to make sense, when the lights come on—that is a thrill we should all have on our “must do” list before we die. Sometimes I evaluate that mental list of the things I would like to do someday. To author a book and discover a new insect are a couple of the more shallow things on the list. Other more “spiritual” goals include raising my children to follow Christ, reaching an unreached people with the gospel, and translating the Bible.

We all have things that we would like to do, but for those of us who follow Christ, we all have the same common command given to us by our Savior. As Christians, reaching others with the Truth of God’s Word is our highest calling and therefore should be foremost on our “to-do” list. It was what Jesus commanded not only his disciples but all his followers to do—to make disciples and help them to maturity in the faith (Matthew 28:18–20). I have had the privilege of seeing not only my children come to put their faith in Jesus but also many remote tribal people living in the deepest jungles of Asia Pacific.

As we taught our tribal friends slowly and consistently through the Bible beginning in Genesis, we started seeing the lights come on in their minds as the beautiful promises of God’s Word were realized in their own lives. At first, they saw themselves as sinners in the presence of the Holy God of the universe. They realized that they were born in Adam, in sin, and that there was nothing that they could do to save themselves. Then when they learned about Jesus, the Redeemer, they were so excited and humbled that he would give his life in place of theirs. The sobering day we presented the gospel was one I will never forget. Seeing many of my tribal friends put their faith in the finished work that Jesus accomplished on the cross was amazing.

Since that time, many of the tribal Christians have gone on to teach and share their faith with other tribesman. It is a beautiful picture of a continuation of what we read in the book of Acts—the church spreading and growing.

If you have not had the opportunity to see the lights come on in the people within your circle of influence, I highly recommend that you find someone and share with him or her the good news. To reach one for the Lord is to fulfill your calling, and it is an experience that will surely be at the top of your “greatest moments” list.