Knowing Your Identity in Christ: I am a Child of the Light (Ephesians 5:8-9)

What if you and your family could be an inspiration in a world that desperately needs hope?

In this episode of 7 Minute Devotions for Busy Parents, host Christen Clark dives deep into the heart of Christian life and parenting, exploring what it means to raise Christian kids who live as children of the light. With practical encouragement and stories (like using her Apple Watch to track down her phone!), Christen unpacks how discipleship, faith at home, and spiritual growth can happen in the most ordinary moments of family life.

• [00:00:48] Discovering your true identity as a child of the light
• [00:04:09] Helping kids discern truth in today’s culture

Resources:

• Instagram: @7minutedevotions, @christenclark
• Family Podcast: @collidekidspodcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello and welcome to 7-Minute Devotions for Busy Parents. I'm Kristen Clark and I'm so glad that you're here today. Thanks for listening. First of all, I hope all the moms listening had a wonderful Mother's Day this past weekend, whether it was loud and chaotic or peaceful and meaningful, or you just got to put your feet up for a few minutes. Wherever in between that was, I hope you felt loved and appreciated. Motherhood is such a beautiful picture of daily faithfulness. It's walking things out moment by moment, day by day. And honestly, that connects perfectly with today's episode in our identity statement because it is: I am a child of the light. I love how it says this in the English Standard Version. It says in verse 9, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. I love how Paul is putting all of this together. He doesn't just say we were in darkness or that we were of darkness. He says we were darkness. That's a little harsh, Paul. Darkness wasn't just around us. It was part of who we were before Christ. We were separated from God, living in disobedience, following our own desires and our own way. But now we are light in the Lord. And I think it's important to notice something else too. It doesn't say we were the source of the light. It says we are children of the light. The light comes from somewhere, something that is beyond us. And honestly, to me, amen, hallelujah, that is such a relief because it means I don't have to manufacture one more thing. I'm not responsible for bringing out goodness or holiness on my own. I don't have to force myself into becoming more spiritual through striving and effort. The Holy Spirit produces those things in me. And I also love how Paul says to walk as children of the light. That word walk stands out to me because walking is such an everyday thing. It reminds me actually of when I first got my Apple Watch, which was on Mother's Day a few years ago. Well, quite a few years ago. I've had it for a while. I've had a few versions of it and I love it. And listen, I wanted it for two reasons. First, because it tracked my steps and my workouts. I love to work out and be active and stay healthy. And that's a huge part of my life. I love that it had that. But probably the reason I wanted it the most was I found out that it could ping my phone when I lost it somewhere in the house, which happens to me on a daily basis. So when someone said it can ping your phone if you lose it, I'm like, sold. Buy me one. That's what I want for Mother's Day. So apparently, my watch mostly tracks me walking around my house to find my phone. But in all seriousness, walking is such an ordinary part of life. We walk from room to room. We walk into work. We walk to school. We walk into our churches. We are walking through stores and parking lots and hallways. We walk beside friends and family. That's the picture Paul is giving us here. Not one giant spiritual moment. It's a daily lifestyle. It's part of our everyday, moment by moment, living as children of the light. Later in this chapter, Paul says something else about that light. The job of that light is to expose darkness. And I think sometimes we as Christians get very uncomfortable with that idea because we don't want to seem judgmental or harsh. But exposing darkness doesn't have to mean we're becoming angry or hateful or combative. It means we're standing firmly in truth. It means refusing to pretend darkness is light just because culture says it is. It means living differently, speaking truth lovingly, choosing integrity, being honest, protecting what is good, defending what honors God. And this feels especially important right now in a season where so many people are praying through important decisions, even considering who they should vote for and what values they want to support and reflect in their lives in their communities. So as believers, we aren't called to blindly follow culture. We are called to walk in truth, not political talking points, truth. And we help our children to do the same, not by teaching them fear, but by teaching them discernment, helping them to recognize what is good and righteous and true. And actually in verse nine, it references the fruit of the spirit. In verse nine, it says the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. And then we know the fruit of the spirit from Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 through 23, where it says the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those things grow out of a life connected to God. They are evidence that his light is working in us. People should look at our lives and see God at work, not because we're trying to look impressive, but because his spirit is producing something different in us. This means that our job isn't to just sit quietly on the sidelines smiling at everyone and looking really nice. Yes, kindness is important. It matters, but we are also called to stand for this truth. And one way that we can do that is help our children recognize truth because our kids are growing up in a world constantly trying to define truth for them. They need parents who will lovingly help them walk in truth, not perfectly, not harshly. We don't have to come down on them, but we just have to be consistent. Our kids need to see that following Jesus affects the way that we live every single day, that our faith isn't just something we talk about at church. It changes how the way we respond to people day to day, how we handle conflict throughout the week, how we speak in everyday moments, and how we show love to each other. And when they see the fruit of the spirit growing in our lives, they begin to recognize what it looks like to walk in the light too. And that's what we want for them. Well, before we pray, we're gonna go over identity rhythm. So this is something we're doing in every episode this season. I'll read these three short statements: who we are in Christ, why it's true, and how we live from it. And then I would love for you to say the identity statement with me one more time at the end. So today's identity statement is I am a child of the light. Because of Christ, I am no longer darkness. God's light now lives in me through the Holy Spirit. Because I am a child of the light, I choose to walk in truth, reflect the fruit of the spirit, and point others to God. Let's say the identity statement one more time together. I am a child of the light. Let's pray. God, we thank you so much for bringing us out of the darkness and into your marvelous light. Thank you that we are children of the light. God, I pray you would give us wisdom to parent our children, to help them to recognize truth and to walk in it and help us to be that daily example. Help us to walk in light and to live that out, not by striving in our own strength, but by trusting in you and allowing you to reflect that light through us. God, I pray that your goodness would come into our speech, to the things that we say, to the way that we interact with people. Help us to be a light in the darkness for you. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, friend, I hope that today you are reminded that you are a child of the light. And so you need to walk as a child of the light. So this week, my prayer for you is that you find ways to bring light into your home and into your community. Maybe that's encouraging someone or standing up for truth with kindness, or maybe it's serving someone quietly without getting any recognition. Whatever it is, don't hide the light that God has placed in you. And if you are enjoying these episodes from Seven Minute Devotions, I would really appreciate it if you would share it on your social media or leave a rating and review. Just letting other people know about the show is a great way to get the word out, and it's a great way to spread the light. See what I did there? Well, thanks so much for listening today. Join us later this week for another episode and remember who you are and who you belong to.