Jewels from Judy: Being Children of Light

We have just finished celebrating the biggie of all holidays, Christmas. (Do I hear a collective sigh of relief?) Because of some issues with my health, I was not able to do the things I like to do this time of year.

My husband helped with a lot of what was accomplished, but something he said rattled me a bit. He thought it was great that there were only a few things under the tree. He didn’t know I had wrapped those few gifts with tears streaming down my face because it felt so inadequate. My love language is gift giving and his is acts of service. With that in mind, it is not surprising that my husband and I don’t see eye-to-eye this time of the year on how we show people we that we do indeed care about them.

I think what upset me the most was realizing that I have some of the most amazing women of God for friends, yet I did not give even one of them a gift! This is so out of character for me and it deeply grieved me. Not going to lie.

You may be asking: what pray-tell does this have to do with being children of light? There is something deep down in us that knows (whether we acknowledge God or not) that we are to GIVE to others. Whether it is a Gift, Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, or Physical Touch (or combinations of these), we all need to be loved and to give love. (From Gary Chapman’s book, The 5 Love Languages) God gave His best, and we are to give ours.

When God spoke “Let there be light,” there was light. Jesus came as the Light of the World, but then commissioned His beloved children to be carriers that Light throughout both the world and the ages. We are not the makers of His Light and Love; we are carriers of it. If we will stay in the middle of what God is doing, if we will arise, as we have heard so many times, and shine, we will see the Light of God reveal more in the days to come than ever before.

This week I plan to seek the Lord for 2018 and beyond. I urge you to seek God for this season. Don’t look for what God is saying to everyone else and cherry-pick from that. Seek Him for yourself, then what you read from others will either confirm or deny what God has made clear to you. (We can’t know a true word if we aren’t studying Scripture, staying vigilant in prayer, and seeking His face daily.)  Beloved, when you hear God’s word for yourself, when you see the LIGHT for yourself, then you know that you know. Don’t allow man or demon to cause you to question ‘did God really say?’ Know what He has said, then run the race set before you. Run as a light-bearer. In Jesus’ name and to the Father’s glory, run as a child of God’s light.

Many blessings in the Father’s love,

Judy A Bauman