Image from biblia.com
Hear and view devo: https://bit.ly/47rxekl
8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly;13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:8-14 NRSV)
Many a time someone will ask if I remember a particular thing I said or did; and sadly in most cases, I will reply that I do not. It's often embarrassing because the person will be laughing quite hard at whatever it was that I said or did, and I have no clue. Even sadder is to be shown a faded picture of me and them and them telling me what had just happened or what I had just said that caused them to take the photo. The photos captured just a moment of something then, and then life moved on. The image captured of me or of a loved one may or may not look anything like we remember them as now. Such is what is happening here, Paul is showing them a verbal photo of the believers in Ephesus and reminding them of how they once were. The first five words hit hard, for Paul does not say, "You were once walking in darkness;" he says, "You were darkness." Ouch. Their every thought, word, and deed, were strongly rooted in things not of God, thus darkness. Almost like a slap in the face but a needed one. Not just that we did dark things or lived in dark places, but that darkness defined us. It was our identity, our essence, our nature. We weren't just lost in the darkness—we were the darkness.
But now—and this is the scandal of grace—now in the Lord you are light. Not "you have light" or "you're moving toward light." You are light. Your very identity has been transformed. This is the miracle of the gospel: what we were has been fundamentally changed by who Christ is.
Lent is a season when we remember this transformation. We look back at the darkness we were rescued from—not to wallow in shame, but to magnify the grace that pulled us out. We face honestly what we were so we can live gratefully in what we've become.
But Paul doesn't stop at identity. He moves immediately to implication: "Live as children of light." Become who you are. Walk in the reality of your new identity. Let your behavior match your being. The fruit of the light, Paul says, is goodness, righteousness, and truth. Not performance. Not perfection. Not pretending. But genuine goodness that flows from a transformed heart. Righteousness that seeks what's right even when it's costly. Truth-telling, even when lies would be easier.
Then Paul gives us a challenging command: "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord."
This requires intentionality. Discernment. Paying attention. It's not autopilot Christianity. It's actively asking, "In this situation, in this relationship, in this decision—what would please the Lord?" And then having the courage to do it.
Paul continues: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."
This is uncomfortable. It means we can't compartmentalize our lives—light here, a little darkness there. It means we can't participate in gossip, deception, exploitation, or injustice and think it doesn't matter because "everyone does it." Children of light expose darkness, and sometimes that exposure begins in our own hearts.
But notice: "everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light."
Light is transformative. When we bring our secrets, our shame, our hidden sins into the light of Christ, they lose their power. What's exposed can be healed. What's visible can be addressed. Darkness only has power when we keep it hidden.
This is the work of Lent—bringing everything into the light. Confessing what we've kept secret. Acknowledging what we've rationalized. Exposing the shadows we've been living in.
And then Paul quotes what may be an early Christian hymn: "Sleepwalk no more! Christ will shine on you."
How much of our lives do we live on autopilot? Going through the motions. Numb to sin. Comfortable with compromise. Spiritually sleepwalking through our days.
Lent is a wake-up call. It's Christ shaking us gently and saying, "Wake up. You're children of light now. Stop living like you're still in darkness. Stop sleepwalking through the life I died to give you."
The light of Christ is already shining on us. The question is whether we'll wake up and live in it.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Light of the World, wake us from spiritual slumber. Show us the darkness we've been tolerating, the autopilot we've been living on. Help us walk as children of light—in goodness, righteousness, and truth. Shine your light into every corner of our lives; in Thy name we pray, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Expose one "work of darkness" you've been hiding—a habit, attitude, or secret you've kept in the shadows. Confess it to God and to one trusted person. Let the light in. Then ask God: "What pleases you in this area of my life?" and take one concrete step to live as a child of light.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me! Let's win the world for Jesus by sharing God's love to ALL people!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
