Turn on the Light!

Pam Farrel is an encourager, and she uses the truth of scripture to encourage women to become strong Christ-followers. In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, she explains how we can walk in the light of our Savior, and not become discouraged by the darkness in our culture."Christ claims He is the SOURCE of light," Pam says. "We need light so we do not stumble in the darkness."

I (Dawn) don't know about you, but the darkness in the culture seems to get darker and darker every day! But I know this: when life gets dark, that's when the Light of the World seems to shine even brighter!

Pam continues . . . 

Jesus was clear about the source of light.

Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life' (John 8:12 ESV).

Strong Concordance says light is “the manifestation of God's self-existent life; divine illumination to reveal and impart life, through Christ.” 

Commentator FB Meyer proposes that when Jesus claimed to be “the light of the world” He might have also been referring to the huge golden candelabra of the temple court. The candelabra was lit for the Feast of Tabernacles in celebration of God leading Israel as a cloud by day and a fire by night.

Again, God’s presence is not a reflection of light; rather, God is the source of light.

Jesus is the light that the darkness can NOT overcome:

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5 NIV).

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5 NIV).

Jesus, the light that conquers darkness, is GOOD NEWS!

To gain this victory over darkness, we are to follow Him, meaning we accompany Jesus and travel the same road as His disciple. When we maintain this intimate relationship with Jesus, the verse explains we will not walk in darkness because we will NOT conduct ourselves in “moral or spiritual obscurity (which blocks the light of God …).”

We choose to walk in Christ’s light.

How Can We Walk in the Light?

Years ago, our friends and authors, Paul and Virginia Friesen, invited us to speak on Catalina Island for a rustic family camp. Paul explained we would stay in the deluxe cabin meaning, “you have a light bulb with a chain you can pull to turn on the light.” 

• Pull the chain!
• Call out to the LIGHT of heaven.
• Then ask all those who walk in the Light to link up WITH you!

1. Step In the Light:

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (Eph 5:8).

2. Sing Light!

But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress (Psalm 59:16 ESV.

3. Speak Light!

Personalize and pray OUT LOUD Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV).

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

4. Shout Light!

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9, emphasis added).  

FLIP THE SWITCH!

I live on a boat, so I recently bought a lovely lantern that looks like a lighthouse. The job of a lighthouse is to guide ships into safe harbor.

God can shine light into the darkest moments and lead us step by step.

Consider buying a light as a symbol of Christ as your light: a candle, a nightlight, a candlestick, or a lantern can be a beautiful reminder of Christ, our light.

In what areas of your life do you need to turn on the light and allow God to dispel the darkness?

Pam Farrel is the author of more than 55 books, including several devotionals Her newest devotional is Discovering Good News In John: A Creative Bible Devotional Study Experience—co-authored with Jean E Jones and Karla Dornacher. You can connect with Pam at Love-Wise.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Steve Johnson at Unsplash.

Shining Your Light in Today's Darkness

Kathi Macias is a prolific writer with great heart. Her novels inspire and other writings teach God's truth with power. In this Influence UPGRADE, she seeks to change our cultural focus from frustration to faith, and remind us to shine for Jesus.

"The Bible declares that the darkness cannot comprehend (or overcome) the light (John 1:5)," Kathi says. "Sadly, some Christians have become so focused on the darkness that they seem to have forgotten this great promise."

I (Dawn) have often been reminded by the Lord to "shine." I've often joked that this is because of my name; but the truth is, the light I want to reflect is the light of my Savior—Jesus, the Light of the world (John 8:12). That's the light our dark world needs to see!

Kathi continues . . .

When I became a born-again believer in 1974, I immediately began to question my previously held concepts of nearly everything, including politics. By the time the next Presidential election came around, I found myself voting based on my new worldview.

Since then, I haven’t budged far from that position, and yet the past few years have caused me to seriously examine how I daily live out that worldview.

Sadly, I concluded that though I was standing on ground that represented biblical principles, I wasn’t always modeling those principles in a godly way.

Something tells me I’m not alone in coming to that conclusion.

In our currently divided and politically-charged society, I regularly meet Christians who, whether they agree with my position or not, struggle with reconciling their political stance (and resulting actions) with their Christianity. And that’s okay. Their struggle tells me they truly want to be Christ-like in all areas of their lives, including politics.

However, I have a much greater problem dealing with those who are absolutely certain their stand is the only possible one a Christian can take, despite the fact that other sincere believers may have a different view.

In considering and praying about this situation, I continually return to John 1:5:

“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [overcome] it.”

This first chapter of John is about Jesus (“the light”) entering a world of sin (“the darkness”) and, despite all resistance, prevailing to rescue those trapped in that darkness. How did He do that?

Put simply, the Light is so much greater than the darkness.

Few Christians would argue that point, knowing Jesus is the Light and has already overcome the darkness—not by condemning those caught in the darkness, but rather by extending His Light to them in a free offer of love. And, that, of course, is the key.

We too are called to be light in this dark world (Matthew 5:16), shining brightly so as to attract others and show them the way to escape.

But do we more effectively do that by continually proclaiming the evils of darkness . . . or by declaring the great unconditional love found only in the Light?

The answer, of course, is evident: We are called to emulate Christ, who walked in love, even toward those He knew would betray Him.

So how do we apply that fact to our own lives, specifically to our political stand, whatever that may be? We learn to recognize and overcome the darkness.

Just because we have joined ourselves to the Light doesn’t mean we can’t be influenced by darkness.

The moment we take our eyes from the light, darkness will make its move.

It is up to us to consciously choose to walk daily in the Light of Christ, dispelling the darkness around us.

Ephesians 5 provides us with three simple steps to do so.

1. Walk in love.

We walk in love by being “imitators of God as dear children,” loving others “as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (v.2).

Christ gave Himself for us and requires that same giving from us.

He set the bar so high that we can never reach it in our own strength or ability. We are completely dependent on Him, and we must be continually mindful of that.

2. Walk in light.

We walk in light by remembering that:

“[we] were once darkness, but now [we] are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light” (vv. 8-13).

Ah, there it is: The only way to dispel the evils of darkness, which enslave unbelievers and keep them from God, is to shine light—the Light of Christ—in our daily lives.

We must be driven by a desire to deliver the words found in verse 14: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

It is doubtful others will receive that message from us if we are speaking words of prideful criticism or pushing argumentative positions, whether biblically correct or not.

3. Walk in wisdom.

How do we walk in wisdom? Verses 15-17 declare,

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

God’s will is never for us to add to the darkness, but rather to shine our light, everywhere and all the time. And that, of course, brings us back to regularly spending time with Him, sitting at His feet, learning from Him, and allowing His Spirit to direct our ways and our words.

In conclusion, as we necessarily walk through this time of political tumult and confusion, may we:

• Learn to spend our time lighting candles rather than cursing the darkness,
• praying rather than condemning, and
• offering of ourselves instead of criticizing others.

Do you struggle with shining your light for Jesus in our wicked culture or divisive political scene? How does the scripture's reminders to walk in love, walk in the light and walk in wisdom give you encouragement and direction?

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 60 books and ghostwritten several others. Kathi won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Her novel Red Ink won the 2011 Golden Scrolls Novel of the Year Award and was also a finalist for a Carol Award from American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al. You can learn more about her and her books/ministry at www.kathimacias.com.

What Does 'Walking in the Light' Look Like?

In this longer Spiritual Life UPGRADE, Dawn Wilson asks us to consider our "walk" with the Lord. Are we truly walking in the light? What does that even look like?

It's a well-know metaphor in Christian circles: We're to "walk in the light."

But it's often misunderstood.

It doesn't just mean to live openly and honestly before people. It doesn't even mean to behave well.

To walk in the light biblically has a far deeper and more significant meaning.

One of my favorite Bible passages is Ephesians 5:8:

"for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."

Maybe it's because my name is "Dawn," but I've always been fascinated with light. This scripture awakened me to the whole concept of "light in the Lord."

Paul was admonishing Christians to live in light of the light God has provided us in the example of Jesus and in the truth of the Word of God.

This concept began in the Old Testament when saints were encouraged to walk in "the light of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:5).

Isaiah predicted that people who "walked in darkness" would see a "great light" (9:2); and in due time, Jesus came down from the "Father of Lights" (James 1:17). Those who trusted in Christ would find light for life (Isaiah 50:10).

The Father's nature is light. There is no darkness or evil in Him at all. And Jesus, His Son, is the pure Light of the World (John 8:12). He is the provider of the Father's light to us.

Jesus is the "true light, which gives light to everyone," John said (John 1:9). In Him, we don't need to walk in darkness.

So what does it mean to "walk in the light"?

Essentially, our "walk" is our lifestyle—our mindset, patterns of behavior and the choices we make. But that mindset and behavior must be holy and aligned with scripture, and our choices must be biblically wise in order for us to say we are truly "walking in the light."

In our identification with our Savior, we are holy—set apart for the Lord's use. As we walk with the Lord and learn to trust and obey Him, we grow and mature spiritually (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24). We become more like Jesus (1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; 1Thessalonians 4:3).

It's a one-time transformation when God changes our hearts at salvation, but there is also a "being made holy" (sanctification) process. When we walk, we're going somewhere. We're making progress on the lighted path.

At one point in my life, I thought walking in the light was too difficult.

I rationalized that I live in a morally dark world, and choices for "light" were just too hard. So I coasted spiritually.

But with growth in Christ and through His grace and power, I've learned more about what "shining" for the Lord looks like. Just as Jesus is the Light of the World, we are called out of darkness and each one of us is commanded to be a light in our "crooked and twisted" world (1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 5:14-16). God does not want us to "abide" (or dwell) in darkness any longer (John 12:46).

So HOW are we to walk as children of light?

1. We're to REMEMBER we were rescued from darkness.

We can't forget what it's like to live in darkness.

• Living in darkness is lying to ourselves and lying about the reality of eternity—it's not acknowledging and practicing the truth (1 John 1:6).
• People who live in darkness don't want to come to the light because it exposes their sin (John 3:19-20).
• They reinterpret good and evil (Isaiah 5:20) because they are spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:4).
• People who choose to walk on the dark path take pleasure in doing wrong, enjoying their twisted ways of evil (Proverbs 2:13-14).

Walking in darkness is a lifestyle that promises (and sometimes gives) us so much, but it's all empty in the end.

In contrast, the Christian's walk should reflect a glorious truth: the Father has qualified us, in Christ, "to share the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness..." (Colossians 1:9-14).

To walk in the light begins with a heart transformation as we trust in what Christ did for us when we were lost in darkness, separated from God.

2. We're to BE HOLY: "blameless and innocent."

Being "righteous" has gone out of style in much of our culture, but to walk in the light is to grow in holiness. We relinquish our sin and let God's holy light shine through us (Matthew 5:16). A holy testimony is important!

We must "lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light" behaving properly (Romans 13:11-14; Ephesians 5:7-14). We are wrestling against the spiritual wickedness, the darkness of this world (Ephesians 6:12). We're to dress ourselves for battle in the light of Christ, and get moving for Him.

God's Word is the light we need for daily choices (Psalm 119:105; John 1:4-5). We're to embrace and hold tight to scriptural truth so the world can see Jesus' light in us (Phiippians 2:14-16).

We can't straddle the fence between holiness and wickedness (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

We "walk by the Spirit." The Spirit of God enables us to walk in the light (2 Corinthians 4:6). As we walk by the Spirit, we do not "gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16, 25; Ezekiel 36:26-27).

3. We're to keep our MISSION FOCUS.

Paul quoted Isaiah 49:6b in Acts 13:47, reminding believers that God wants to use us to "bring salvation to the ends of the earth." Jesus gave us a mission, and we don't want sin to diminish our testimony and effectiveness (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 24:16; 1 Peter 3:16).

We also need to pray the Lord will lift the blindness of people, because without Christ, they cannot "see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). They may even be rebelling against the light (Job 24:13).

It is our Father alone who can shine life-transforming light into hearts.

Knowing that, we can pray He will open the eyes of our friends and loved ones.

3. We're to live for GOD'S GLORY.

We were chosen for a reason: to "proclaim the excellencies" of the Lord who called us "into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

We're to do all things for His glory alone—to live "for the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12; Matthew 5:16; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

4. We're to be CAREFUL about our RELATIONSHIPS.

Be careful about your "walking" companions. They may lead you astray.

It's hard to be light-bearers when our closest pals are those who walk in darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14; 1 John 1:6-7).

This doesn't mean we can't ever associate with those in darkness; but we must be alert and careful in those interactions. Light and darkness are opposites.

5. We're to BE FUTURE-FOCUSED: to live in the light of Jesus' return.

We're not in darkness, but we still must be "alert and sober," remembering the Lord will return and what we're going to do for Him, we need to do now (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).

We must remember this world is not our home. We're heading into eternity, and we will all appear before the Lord to give an account of ourselves (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Walking in the Light involves total commitment to the Lord and the Word, not just for righteous living today, but to prepare us to live with the Father of Lights for eternity.

Are you walking in the light today? Which of these five points might need some work so you can keep in step with the Spirit of God?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for Revive Our Hearts and a writer at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in Southern California and have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Pexels at Pixabay.

4 Ways I'm Learning to Be a Light-Dweller

In this Spiritual Life UPGRADE, Dawn Wilson reminds us Jesus wants His followers to walk in the light. That's crucial in these dark days!

Some time ago, when San Diego had days of heavy rains—not common for us—I got a serious case of "The Glooms."

My nutritionist said I might actually have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). And that might be. Thinking back, I've never tolerated gloomy days well; I've always craved sunshine.

I remember one day in the midst of The Glooms when I got out of our car and suddenly, a ray of sunshine peeked through some clouds. I turned my head toward the sun and basked in its light.

Though I love the crispness of fall, I NEED the sunshine of summer.

I read about a little bird that enjoys perpetual summer. In the book God of Wonders, David A. Steen writes about the arctic tern, a mostly-white bird with a bright-red bill and tiny red legs and webbed feet. The arctic tern only weights about 3.5 ounces. When it's summer in the far north, they raise their young in Greenland or Iceland, and then when summer wanes, they take off for the Weddell Sea in Antarctica—some 12,000 miles south!

The actic tern "enjoys the most daylight hours of any creature on earth," Steen wrote. Flying in a looping, zig-zag pattern, they log the most miles during their annual migrations—24,000-30,000 miles each year, pole-to-pole-to-pole, round trip. They are so desperate for the summer sun.

Now reading that, I had a thought. I wonder how desperate I am for the light of the Son? How much do I desire to seek Him—the Light of the World? I get so caught up in seeking other things. But God has a better way.

The Lord wants me to live as a Light-Dweller.

Here are some things He's teaching me about that.

1. I'm Learning to Seek the Son.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

What we seek shows the state of our hearts—what we really crave. Sadly, I'm inclined to seek "stuff" because I love it; but oh, how I need the Son!

Sometimes the Lord has had to draw my stuff away from me before I realized what really matters. "Stuff" isn't wrong, but my inordinate affection for my stuff can keep me from seeking and loving God and desiring to live fully sold-out for Him.

I must learn to turn my head toward the Son and bask in His glory.

2. I'm Learning My Position—Light in the Lord.

When I became a Christ-follower, the Lord slowly began transforming my heart as I studied the scriptures. I learned I was once "in darkness," but by God's grace I became "light in the Lord." God wants me to discern what is pleasing to Him (Ephesians 5:8-10).

Slowly I've understood: the darkness of my spiritual graveyard is behind me. In the resurrected Christ, I should and can live in the light of my new birth.

I am a partaker of "the inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:12). That's where I belong ... in the light.

Jesus wants to shine His light on me, but I must wake up and start living like a child of light (Ephesians 5:14-17).

3. I'm Learning to Walk in the Light.

In his book study on Ephesians, Warren W. Wiersbe wrote, "Walking 'as children of light' also means reveling in God's light in our daily lives. By our character and conduct, we bring God's light into a dark world. As God's light, we help others find their way to Christ."

Yes, I need to discern what God wants and obey Him for my own good and His glory. But walking in the light is even more than that. People are blinded by Satan and living in darkness. "Only as we witness and share Christ can the light enter in," Wiersbe wrote.

I can't be sluggish in my walk of light. I must be intentional and faithful.

"Jesus bids us shine, shine for all around.

Many kinds of darkness in the world are found.

Sin and want and sorrow, so we must shine—

You in your small corner and I in mine." (Susan B. Warner)

4. I'm Learning How Light Exposes Darkness.

Light reveals truth and exposes lies. It reveals sin for what it is.

That's why some people avoid church like the plague. They will not come to the light (John 3:20); they like their sin too much.

We don't have to blast sin at every point. God wants us to love people. But the truth is, if we are seeking God, resting in Christ and walking in the light, our lives will expose others' sin in contrast.

Some time ago, a woman blasted me, saying I was "on a pedestal." She said I must think I'm "holier than others." Her words cut deep. I felt I was following hard after Christ—pursuing Him and His righteousness; but I examined my heart to see if there was truth in her statements. Was I projecting pride?

God showed me one way that might be true and I dealt with that, but in the process, the Lord showed me the root of the problem. This woman was smarting under her own sinful choices. She lashed out under the weight of her own guilt.

God nudged me to love her more, encourage her and "be there" for her if opportunities came to help. But I realized at that point, standing for righteousness is going to invite some enemies (2 Timothy 3:12). I can't be a phoney Christian—I must walk in HIS light and not put the spotlight on anything less (and especially on myself)—but I can't expect everyone will love me for that.

The self-righteous Pharisees hated Jesus, the Light of the World, precisesly for this reason, and they tried to destroy Him. When sinners saw Christ's character, they had no cloak for their sin (John 15:22).

The righteousness of Christ in us will make the lost and religious hypocrites uncomfortable; but that doesn't mean we should stop walking in the light.

I want to be a Light-Dweller. Don't you? What's stopping you? Turn your head toward the Son today, rest in Him, and walk in His light.

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for Revive Our Hearts and a writer at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in Southern California and have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic of Sunbeams Breaking Through a Cloud, adapted, courtesy of SeaquestDS at FreeImagesLive.

Graphic of Arctic Tern, courtesy of Pixabay.

How to Walk as a 'Child of Light'

Dawn Wilson reminds us of the greatest transforming UPGRADE we'll ever know. 

Back in July, I read this scripture and was struck by the black-and-white nature of Paul's words to the Ephesian believers:

"... at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. ... and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ...

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:8, 10-11, 15, 17).

Paul was sounding out a warning and a challenge.  

It breaks my heart to hear of so many Christians reading "soft porn" (sometimes called "mommy porn") or watching television programs and movies they would never read or watch if Jesus sat right beside them. (Have they forgotten God is always present with us?)

It's so easy to get sucked into the evils of our culture. We become accustomed to the darkness.

I read a powerful article by Tim Challies about "Television's Rape Epidemic." He mentioned a number of popular television programs that feature rape and other sexual vulgarities. Tim closed his article with these convicting words:

"If Christians won't allow explicit scenes of sexual violence to keep them from watching television shows, what will? If scenes of rape are not over the edge, what is? If we won't draw the line there, will we draw it anywhere?"

I thought back to the controversial novel Fifty Shades of Grey. When it came out, I was amazed to hear about Christians reading the book. Then Hollywood dished up the sexually-explicit Shades of Grey (February, 2015). Christian women bought tickets. 

I'm glad the authors of another book, Pulling Back the Shades, wrote to help women understand they can be both sexual and spiritual. They also called for revival.

"Revival is not about holding our ground," Dannah wrote, "it's about reclaiming territory that has already been lost."

We need revival because we've give our enemy "territory" in our lives. The Bible says, "Give no opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27). Satan, the enemy of our souls, laughs when we play with sin, and then he becomes our greatest accuser (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:10b).

Before we turned to the Lord and received the gift of Life and Light (John 1:4-5; 8:12), we were part of the darkness. But God always calls His children to come out from the bondage and wickedness that once held them and to live "separate" from sin—separated unto Him (2 Corinthians 6:17). As ambassadors for Christ, we are not to emulate the world (John 17:15-18). We were created to do the good works God has ordained for us (Ephesians 2:10), not to continue living and justifying a wicked lifestyle.

And we can only do that because of God's transforming grace.

I am thankful for the grace of God. He saved me and make me a part of His Kingdom of Light. And as a Child of Light, I am instructed to shine brightly for the Lord (Matthew 5:16) so the world will see my good works and glorify God!

Paul emphasized it this way: live "to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12). 

God works in us both in salvation and sanctification. I call it The Greatest Upgrade; but it's really a total transformation! Our Father will help us grow and mature in holiness and faith; and as we become more like Jesus, we will walk as "Children of Light."

We all have daily choices that encourage this process:

1. We can ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts (Psalm 139:23-24a).

2. We can confess and relinquish any sin He reveals to us (I John 1:9; Acts 3:19).

3. We can determine to practice the presence of the Lord (Psalm 139:7; 16:11a).

4. We can pray for a discerning heart (Philippians 1:9-10), asking God to make us more sensitive about sin.

5. We can cultivate a lifestyle of faith and obedience (Psalm 119:11) as we memorize and apply God's Word!

6. We can follow Jesus' example (John 1:9; 8:12), becoming more like "the Light of the World."

7. We especially can use discernment to avoid sin, and when necessary, expose the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11).

As Ephesians 5:15 (The Message) says, "... watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times."

God's grace is strong, and He will enable us to walk as a child of Light!

When do you struggle most with the pull of sin? Which of these steps for walking as a holy "child of light" could help you in that battle?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Ministries, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is President of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in MInistry (NEWIM San Diego). Dawn, co-author of the devotional, LOL with God, also wrote the chapter, "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of chrisroll / FreeDigitalPhotos.net