Walking In The Light

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

This morning while taking a walk with my kids to feed the ducks at a nearby pond, a popular hymn from my childhood rang through my mind..."He's still working on me. To make me what I need to be. It took him just a week to make the moon and stars, the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be. Cause He's still workin' on me." Hearing those words were such a powerful reminder that the Lord will always be working on me, growing me, stretching me, and molding me to be more and more like Him. This beautiful song has such an important message for our children as well. They need to know that we make mistakes and that God is still working on us. Being transparent with them allows them to see the redeeming side of our messes and failures...confessing, repenting, seeking forgiveness, and modeling a heart change. Our children can learn from our example. God is still working on our hearts and always will be. They need to see us NOT as perfect, but as God's imperfect children following Jesus and walking in the light. "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord." Ephesians 5:8-10

So how do we walk in the light? How do we set this example for our spouses, our children, and others? First we need to understand where the light comes from. John 8:12 tells us, "Jesus spoke again to His people, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Jesus is the light and He can turn our darkness into marvelous light! "You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light." (2 Samuel 22:29) Thank you Lord for turning my darkness into light! Titus 3:5-7 says, "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having hope of eternal life." Wow! What a beautiful truth! If you have been saved, you have the Holy Spirit. We have the light inside of us simply by having a relationship with Christ. Wake up each morning and grab Jesus' hand, surrender the day to Him, pray without ceasing, dive into His word as often as you can, and grow.  And as we grow in our love relationship with our Heavenly Father, the fruits of the Spirit bloom inside of us. As those fruits flourish, they radiate light out of us. "Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:5

As we walk in the light, let's BE His light! My prayer lately has been for my husband, my children, and others to see Christ in me. "He must become greater, I must become less." (John 3:30) We have to be more like Jesus, and less like our flesh. Galatians 5:24-25 reminds us, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." To BE the light means we have to be different, set apart. In our lives, there has to be evidence that we are controlled by the Spirit. Not that we are without sin, but that we are controlled by the Spirit and the presence of God everyday. When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, he wrote letters with the purpose of teaching us what Christ is like, and those letters enable us see what we need to become. "Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so that you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy." (Colossians 1:10-11)  Let's be image bearers of Christ. Clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be comforted, be consumed, and be controlled by the Holy Spirit. The light of His presence is shining upon you. Reflect Jesus and light up the world!