LISTEN
READ
Ephesians 5:8-14
CONTEMPLATE
Welcome to Lent meditation and worship with Westside church. During this Lenten season, meet us here each day as we read scripture, worship and rest in the presence of God together. Know that as you listen today, you are doing so with others whether in the same space as you or not, and we pray that the Holy Spirit permeates the places we each find ourselves in right now.
Let us start today by clearing our minds and opening our hearts and minds to what the Lord wants to speak to us through His word today. Take a deep breath in and out. And another in and out.
The very first thing God created in the beginning was light. The author of Genesis writes,
“God spoke: ‘Light!’
And light appeared.
God saw that light was good
and separated light from dark.”
From then on light and darkness have been opposites. At war with one another. Never able to exist at the same time.
Paul writes in Ephesians 5, as those who have been redeemed by Jesus, we are people of light and are to act as such.
Ephesians 5:8-14
Although you were once the personification of darkness, you are now light in the Lord. So act like children of the light. 9 For the fruit of the light is all that is good, right, and true. 10 Make it your aim to learn what pleases our Lord. 11 Don’t get involved with the fruitless works of darkness; instead, expose them to the light of God. 12 You see, it’s a disgrace to speak of their secrets (so don’t even talk about what they do when no one is looking). 13-14 When the light shines, it exposes even the dark and shadowy things and turns them into pure reflections of light. This is why they sing,
Awake, you sleeper!
Rise from your grave,
And the Anointed One will shine on you.
Paul minces no words here. He doesn’t say we lived in the darkness, no, he says we were the darkness. Darkness personified. And because we have been redeemed and restored through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are now light. Light in the Lord.
Light is how good things grow. We wouldn’t have beautiful plants and fruit without the light. We wouldn’t have the fruit of the Spirit without the Light. The light of God is good, right and true.
As children of the light this looks like us bringing our stuff out from the darkness to be exposed by the light. We are to live true lives and take ourselves out of shame and hiding. We are redeemed, let’s live like redeemed people. Confession to God and others is a great practice of moving things from the darkness to the light. Find someone you really trust and let them help you move that stuff into the light. Confess to God what lies in the darkness. He knows and will not turn his head from you. He will not shame you and wants you to live a child of the light.
Moving from the darkness to the light also is shown in our character. It’s not only inside of ourselves but it is how we show the love of Jesus to others. We are bringing the light of Jesus to others and our lives should reflect those that are living in the light. As God lights, we help others find their way to Jesus. We can’t do this without letting the Spirit take space in our lives. Helping shape and change our character, giving wisdom, lighting the way ahead. Light attracts light. Let’s sing with those who have gone before us and invite others to the light of Jesus, singing:
Awake, you sleeper!
Rise from your grave,
And the Anointed One will shine on you.
PRAY
Discerner of hearts, you look beneath our outward appearance and see your image in each of us. Banish in us the blindness that prevents us from recognizing truth, so we may see the world through your eyes and with the compassion of Jesus Christ who redeems us. Amen.
WRITE and DISCUSS