Reflecting on these words brings several things to mind. Notice that it says we are all children of the light. This is a reminder that we are called to shine God’s light in the world. We are His beloved children. We belong to Him. We are a product of His light. Whoa! There's real power in that statement. As His children, we should live a life, a life where we choose to have nothing to do with darkness.

We are to let God’s light shine through our thoughts and actions. Sometimes we find ourselves in difficult situations. For me, I find darkness and light struggling against each other in my thoughts. The hurt, disturbed, or angered side of me taunts me with negativity and usually some idea of fighting back or at least sharing my darkness. Quickly, though, I remember who I am and more importantly, “whose I am.” It may take courage and most definitely requires grace, but the darkness is pushed away, and the light shines. The beauty of God’s love and mercy brings me back to my mission as a follower of Christ, as a beloved child of God. That mission is to be a beacon of light. We must be awake, aware, think through our plans, and live alertly and with purpose.

Reading this scripture in the Message makes our choices clear.

Clearly, our lives of faith call us to reflect God’s light and hope to a dark and sometimes dreary world. Our light will be visible to others so that hope, love, and faith will be shared.

Remember to shine your light today and every day. We belong to “the Light.” Thanks be to God.

Gracious God, we pray that we have the grace and strength to shine our light boldly for others to see. May our light allow others to be drawn to life, a new life, where we live out your will and your call on our hearts. Drive our dark thoughts out and fill us with light and hope as your precious children. We humbly pray these things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Lisa Blackwood.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.