In the Light

I was listening to my iPod on the way to work the other day when a song came on that I hadn't heard in a long time. The song, "In the Light" by DC Talk, is about how we are weak in our determination to be self-sufficient; we need God.

As I was listening to this song, I found myself at a stoplight next to a church. I glanced over and read the sign: "Walk in God's Light this Lenten season."

Needless to say, I figured God was trying to tell me something. He wants me to walk in the light with Him. But what exactly does that entail?

In Ephesians 5, Paul writes,

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

That seems simple enough. Find out what pleases the Lord and do that. It's not difficult to find out what pleases the Lord; there are pages and pages in the Bible written about what is pleasing to the Lord. Love one another, give freely, do unto others and much more.

Another way of describing walking in the light can be found in 1 John, chapter 1:

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.

So if we walk in the light with God, we have fellowship with Him and are thereby purified from all sin through the blood of Jesus. And what exactly does fellowship with God look like?

I suppose that's a very personal question, and one which cannot be given a blanket answer that would encompass all people and all situations. For me, fellowship with God is just plain talking to Him. You can call it prayer, but it really sounds no different than me talking with my best friend, except that I begin and end my conversations by exalting Him.

I'm always dumbfounded by my tendency to lose sight of this. I will go weeks without having a good heart-to-heart with God when suddenly, one day, I find myself in great need of comfort or peace or advice. If I'm able, I get down on my knees and rest my head in my hands while I talk to Him. Sometimes though, that's just not possible, and I find myself talking to Him from behind the wheel of my car. And you know what? He's always there. He always gives me comfort in one form or another. If I am in need of sound advice, I pick up my Bible and always find comfort in His word. Sometimes I thumb through the index until I find just the right verse. Othertimes, I close my eyes, open the book to a random page and find the perfect phrase or idea to soothe my mind.

And then I get busy. And I neglect my relationship with God. Why does He always come last?

For me, Walking in the Light this Lenten season means making the time to read His word and spend time with Him in prayer. It means keeping God near me all the time, disposing my usual everday cares and worries and replacing them with heart-to-heart talks with my Lord. It means learning to make God the single most important part my life.

Let us pray:

Dear Father in Heaven,

Thank you for being so accessible to us. You are always there when we need you, ready to offer comfort, peace, or wisdom. Please help us to make you our number one priority in life so that we may walk together with you in Your Light.

Amen.