Living as Children of Light

Living As Children of Light

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)

Many, many years ago, before Jesus was my Savior, I remember going into a bar with friends and noticing how dark it was.  I have never seen a bar that wasn’t dark.  Why?  The fact is darkness is a cover-up.  You can’t see the shadowy corners of the place.  If it was light and airy no one would go there.  It is similar to what Paul was writing to the people in Ephesus; “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”  [Ephesians 4:18]  It goes on and says “They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.” [4:19 NLT]

Darkness hides a lot of activity for those who want to do evil things.  People think as long as no one sees what they are doing, they can get away with it. But, God sees it all, so you can’t really hide anything from him.    Paul is telling us to get out of darkness; a true Christian should have nothing to hide from God or anyone else.  As the key scripture says, “Live as children of light”.

What does that mean?  Paul clarifies it in verse 22, “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”  Let’s really stop and think about this for a minute; in today’s language it means to not act the same way you used to.  I know from experience that if you are truly a born-again believer, your desires change.  You won’t want to do the things you did; you won’t want to go to the places you went; you don’t want to tell dirty jokes or speak bad language.  You won’t want to look at pornography or live in unholy relationships.  

Where once your mind was dark; now it turns toward the light of God and wants to think about things of the Lord.  It’s like a light bulb comes on in your mind and you want to search out things of God. You become like a moth drawn to the flame.  How do I know, because I have experienced such a change?  My thoughts were so dark at one time in my life and I was so blinded I could see no reason to live.  It was like a spotlight was suddenly turned on and as the light of Jesus began shining in me, even the dark corners were made light.

Depression is a hard thing to live with even harder to overcome.  Yet with Jesus filling my heart and mind, depression had to leave. I had lived with depressions for several years (what today is called ‘clinical depression’ and suffered severe panic attacks on a daily basis and sometimes oftener.  I was at the end of my rope.  I spent a length of time at Mayo Clinic Hospitals; a month or so at a ‘rest home’ and a period of time at a clinic, but nothing helped. 

It was at that time I met Jesus and I was changed forever; no more pills, drugs or anything else.  I came out of that darkness and into the marvelous light of the Lord.  My health was restored; my mind was renewed and I was and am a new creation in Christ Jesus.  I picked up the Bible and as I read I understood what it was saying.  I was so hungry for the Word of God, I devoured it every minute I could.  I found an old hymn book and began singing the words and I knew what those words meant. 

I discovered when I was really hungry for God, He fed me constantly.  If you are serious about the Lord, he is serious about you. He was and is the answer to every problem.  I look back on my life in awe of what he has done with me and I know he’s not finished with me yet.  It is one thing to know of God, but it’s a whole different thing to know Him personally. 

If you are struggling with darkness in your life, there is a way to overcome it.  God has called us to be ‘Children of Light’ and you can’t be that if you are still walking in darkness.  I know many of you still have not experienced the lightness of God, but you can and you can also be healed in an instant.  What it takes to do that is the battleground, because Satan wants to claim you for his own.  God wants you more, but you have to totally and completely give yourself to God.  Ask God to do whatever he needs to do with you and promise him you will live the rest of your life serving him. Ask Him to fill you with His light and he will do it.

 I remember the day that I did that and promised the Lord I would serve him and honor him in all things as long as I lived.  Do I ever fail?  Of course I do, but I ask forgiveness and go on.  I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for the Lord.  He puts a song in your heart when you need it; he speaks to me in His Word and causes me to rejoice in Him. 

There is an old hymn that says, “The light of the world is Jesus.”  If Jesus lives in your heart, you are filled with his light, but you need to live like children of light!