Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven. —Matthew 5:15-16

There are many Christians who light a candle each time they pray for someone. To those who light that candle, the tiny flame represents the power of hope and prayer. It also reminds the one praying that Jesus was the light of the world and that by sharing our faith in Him we are bringing light into the darkest places on the planet.

Though he died more than twenty years before “This Little Light of Mine” was written, the nineteenth century’s greatest evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, deserves at least a part of the credit for the creation of this famous children’s song. It was Moody who led the great American revival movement and

created the Moody Bible Institute that opened doors to both those seeking to preach as well as those yearning to compose. It was in that center of learning that Harry Dixon Loes found the light needed to deepen his knowledge of faith and music.

During his studies, Loes was struck by the significance of three different references to light in the New Testament. As he began to compose a new song, he no doubt also considered the light he had seen spread through those associated with Moody. Using light as an inspiration and coupling it to a melody that carried the feel of a spiritual, Loes wrote “This Little Light of Mine”. Yet the song, which is today almost universally known, took a while to take off. Although written in 1920, it would be in the days just before World War II that churches began to adopt “This Little Light of Mine” as a part of Sunday school programs. Within a decade, Loes’s song was translated into scores of languages and sung all over the globe.

The way “This Little Light of Mine” spread from one person to another from one community to another from one country to another reflects the power of the light we carry in our hearts. But for that light to make an impact, it must be shared. Martin Luther tied a candle on his Christmas tree and explained to his children that the world was a dark and unforgiving place until Jesus came into the world. He then pointed to the candle on the tree as representing the light that came into the world with Christ. That was the beginning of Christmas lights. In a similar way “This Little Light of Mine” asks the singer to share faith and inspiration with the world and do that by proudly showing the light of Christ in his or her life.

We reach others one life at time. We share with them the light, and it ignites their passion to share it with others. We can do it through a song, a prayer, a good deed, or with a word, but we can’t do it unless we are willing to allow our faith to be seen. We must shine!