In 1910 tungsten, something Edison tried in the 1800s but did not have the tools to perfect, was discovered to be the perfect filament, which resulted in the widespread use of the incandescent bulb we use today.

Who Knew?
Filaments. Who knew they were so important? Edison tried bay wood, boxwood, hickory, cedar, flax, bamboo, and thousands of other fibers. And they worked, but tungsten was the perfect filament.

Did you know there is a perfect "filament" which allows the power of the Holy Spirit to be given off as light in our dark world? The believer in Jesus Christ is that "filament." Nothing shines as bright as the transformed life of an individual through whom the power of God is conducted from heaven to earth.

The question every believer needs to ask himself is this: How much light am I shedding? To what degree is my little corner of our dark world being illumined by the light of the power of God in my life? Am I a 30-watt, 60-watt, or a 100-watt Christian?

Jesus was the first person to raise this question when He told the parable of the sower, seeds, and soil (Matthew 13:3-23): "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (verse 23).

Jesus' point was clear in the parable: The condition of the soil determines the degree of fruitfulness. To compare it to a lightbulb filament, the make-up of the filament determines the brightness of the bulb. Rocky soil produces some fruit, but rich, loamy soil produces a lot more. And a carbonized cotton filament produces some light, but a tungsten filament can light up a room.

Here is a critical point: If you have the Holy Spirit within, you have the same amount of power and light available that anyone else has. And, the Holy Spirit desires to shine that light through you.

How and Where?
How can you shine? Maintain a clean heart and life so that the light can shine. You will only be a hundredfold (or 100-watt) Christian if you are filling your mind with the Word of God, resisting the temptations of the world, flesh, and devil, walking under the control of the Spirit, worshipping God in spirit and truth, and serving God and others sacrificially. Those are the non-negotiables of the Christian life.

There is so much darkness in our world—so many places in need of spiritual illumination—that Christians should be moving out continually and "plugging in" everywhere they can as a source of God's light.

On Sundays, and at home, our light is in the 100-watt range. But what happens in the community? Are we still shining at the 100-watt level, or do we somehow allow the oxygen of the world to cause our filament to weaken and maybe burn out altogether?

Where's the Light?
We live in a culture where upwards of 85 percent of the people profess to be "Christians." If that's true, where's the light?

Do you go to the polling place and illumine the voting booth with the light of God's wisdom, voting for leaders who will govern in a godly way? Or go to a sick or out of work neighbor, shining your light to encourage the family in whatever ways possible? Or work on a community project, brightening someone's day with the light of God's love?

Again, Jesus said it best: "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house" (Matthew 5:15).

Are you willing for God to put you on a light stand in your neighborhood, community, nation, and world? It's one thing to be a 100-watt Christian, and I hope you are. But it's yet another not to keep that light to yourself—to shed it on people all around you who exist in darkness.

Edison gave us the illustration and God the illumination. But the inspiration is up to you.

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This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.