children of light

When I was a little girl
I was afraid of the dark.

I always did that run-and-jump
straight into my bed
so that my feet never came
near the bottom edge
where the darkness lurked
underneath.

Surely, there was something
that could have reached out
to grab my leg and pull me under.
I was certain to have none of it.

But if I made it safely to my bed,
tucked fully under the covers,
with only my face peeking out,
then I was safe for the night.

But even then,
shadows had a way of
playing mischief
on the walls of my room
causing me wild imaginations.

And sometimes
I'd find my way
into my parents bed
before the light of day came.

It was the same room
with the same furniture
and the same fixtures
in the daylight
that it was at night.
But that didn't settle my fears.

For darkness,
especially alone,
is a scary place to be.

I much prefer the light.

Light...
radiant,
brilliant,
bright,
shining,
warm,
luminous,
energetic.

Light dispels darkness.

Especially having the light
on my side...
a flashlight in hand
makes me feel
a bit more powerful
in the middle of the dark.
Because I have the ability
to shine it in any direction
illuminating whatever
causes me fear.

And that's just physical darkness.
When it comes to our emotions,
darkness has a way of
taking over all too quickly
if we don't know how to
grab onto a spiritual flashlight.

But Jesus said to His disciples...
"My light will shine for you
just a little longer.
Walk in the light while you can,
so the darkness
will not overtake you.
Those who walk in the darkness
cannot see where they are going.
Put your trust in the light
while there is still time;
then you will become
​children of the light.”
John 12:35-36 NLT

Jesus came to this earth
knowing that it had become
engulfed in darkness
when sin entered the world
in the Garden of Eden.

So He came
as the Light of the World
to help us find our way.

This is actually
how the disciple John
describes Jesus in his gospel...
In Him was life, and
the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not
comprehend it.
John 1:4-5

It's not only that the the darkness
did not understand Him as light...
but the people who lived in darkness
did not eagerly accept Him,
nor perceive what He offered.

Many preferred He not
shine His light into their darkness
when it illuminated their sinful past.
For that would cause them
to feel shame.

But that is not why Jesus came.
Rather the light was to lead us out of
our shame and darkness
and to free us from the bondage of sin.

This takes some adjustment
to fully comprehend.
Just as our eyes dilate
walking from a dark movie theatre
into the bright sunlight,
so our soul must adjust
to the brilliance of God's light.

At first it may seem too much,
squinting and shielding our eyes.
But if we let the warmth
of His light penetrate,
soon we will adjust to understand
how He shone it to show us
a better way to live.

Not only that,
He said if we put our trust in Him
we then could also
become children of the light.

for at one time you were darkness,
but now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as children of light...
for the fruit of light is found
in all that is good and right and true.
And try to discern what is
pleasing to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10

Jesus placed inside of us
spiritual flashlights
when He made us
children of light,
that we may now walk
with confidence in this world,
shaking off fear and condemnation
no longer living in the dark.

Those things that used to
cause us to do the run-and-jump
trying to clear them
before they could grab us,
should longer frighten us.
For we can now more clearly see
that they are simply shadows
in the light of a true Savior.

And we no longer have to hide
from our past with the covers
pulled up around our face.
Nor must we fear
the shadows as they
playing mischief
on the walls of our mind
causing wild imaginations of
what might go wrong in our future.

Because once we embrace
the full light we will realize
that the way out is so much better
than staying in our own darkness.

But it takes making daily changes
to the way we live.

Paul encouraged us in this...
Do all things without
complaining and disputing,
that you may become
blameless and harmless,
children of God without fault
in the midst of a crooked and
perverse generation, among whom
you shine as lights in the world,
holding fast the word of life,
so that I may rejoice
in the day of Christ that
I have not run in vain or
labored in vain.
Philippians 2:14-16

Living in the light
truly means there is less
to trip and stumble over
because we can now see
the obstacles in front of us
more clearly.

It doesn't mean a life
without trouble.
For all life has it's share of that.

But it means that we can
see our way better.
We can breath easier
knowing that we have hope
illuminating the path
​and a Savior to guide us.

We have a future
that is brighter than
what we could do for ourselves
in the darkness.

Word of God
train me today...
To embrace the light
and trust in You to lead me
on a right path in life.

To live my life in the light,
finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.