Thursday, May 13

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. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” – Ephesians 5:8-14

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). He also said to the disciples, “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14-16).  In these contexts, it would seem that “light” consists of eternal life and good deeds done in the world.  That is at least part of what pleases the Lord.

What Paul is saying here is even more dramatic, in some ways.  He is not saying just that once we were walking in darkness or that our understanding was darkened (as in 4:18), but that once we were darkness itself.  We were like spiritual black holes, absorbing everything into ourselves and giving nothing in return.  In contrast, now we are light – not just walking in the light, or have the light, but we are light in the Lord.  Therefore we are to live as people whose very being belongs to light and not to darkness.  We are to “emit” rather than only absorb. 

Paul says that everything is made visible by the light. There is no sharper contrast than light and darkness.  Even the smallest light is visible in pervasive darkness.  Have you ever had the experience of driving across a lonely stretch of road during a cloudy or moonless night and seeing on the horizon a pinpoint of light that after five minutes is clearly seen to be the distant lights of a city or town?  For all that distance, the light is clearly visible.  Jesus says it is the same with our good deeds.  They do not necessarily need to be public or spectacular.  Every cup of water in Jesus’ name bears “the fruit of the light”. Children of light live transparently and openly, without hypocrisy or fear or deception.  The people who behave as children of light are the kind of people this world needs.

One of the keys to living as children of light is to “be careful little eyes what you see”, as the children’s Sunday School song goes. 
Jesus put it this way: Your eye is the lamp of your body.  When your eyes are healthy, your whole body is also full of light. (Luke 11: 34)
We must be discerning about what we read, watch and listen to if we are to live as children of the light (see yesterday’s devotion).

Another key is to “find out what pleases the Lord.” (Eph. 5:10) Paul tells us here and in verse 17 that we are to discern and understand what the Lord’s will is for us. He is not primarily talking about God’s will for what job we should take or what house we should buy, he is referring to the kind of life God wants us to live. In other words, living as children of light takes some thoughtful discernment and prayer. We live in a world full of darkness and it is easy to become confused or distracted from the truth. This is why Paul tells us not to let anyone deceive us with empty words (5:6) and to be very careful how we live (5:15).


Lord Jesus, You who are the light of the world, shine Your light into the darkness of our hearts. Shine through us into the lives of others, that they may come to know You as the light of life – Amen.

Jeff Frazier