{"id":32852,"date":"2022-07-28T12:50:36","date_gmt":"2022-07-28T16:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/?p=32852"},"modified":"2022-08-17T17:37:49","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T21:37:49","slug":"living-in-the-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/living-in-the-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Living in the Light"},"content":{"rendered":"

Years ago, a lot of the things that were happening in my life that I cared about happened at night. Partying, going out, sneaking around, late night conversations. All of my desires were based on whatever I thought was fun and that became the center of my lifestyle. But those same things also brought me the most anxiety. I was living significant parts of my life literally in the darkness and my soul was in the dark as a result. Every other area of my life felt it too, whether I admitted it or not.<\/span> I genuinely was sold on everything that culture and media told me – what I should do with my time, what I should look like, what it meant to be successful based on what others thought about me. I saw anything that went against that as boring and lame. I was willing to give up anything having to do with my faith to experience this way of life that I was convinced was better.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light\u201d<\/span><\/i> (Ephesians 5:8)<\/p>\n

The freedom, joy, and lightness that I feel now, even when I\u2019m walking through harder seasons, can only be explained by the Holy Spirit in me. The only way to describe my life is that it has been completely transformed by Jesus and it will forever be my greatest joy to talk about who He is.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are the light of the world.<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i>A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i><\/b>Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i>In the same way, let your light shine before others.\u201d <\/span><\/i>(Matthew 5:14-16)<\/p>\n

You may love God or you may not really know who God is. If that\u2019s you, just know that He loves you and He\u2019s pursuing you, you can know that just by the fact that you\u2019re reading this article. Years ago, He sent His son to die in our place as the ultimate sacrifice for the brokenness that\u2019s so present in our world and so opposite of how He intended it to be when he created it. He lived radically and counter-culturally, not by saying all of the right things and being church-y. But by being bold, listening well, loving the very least of these on earth, not choosing to be around the most put together. And most importantly, when he left his time here on earth, He was raised from the dead and promised that one day we\u2019ll get to live with Him and there will be a whole new earth that is absolutely perfect just as he originally designed it to be. (Romans 5:8)\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So this life isn\u2019t it. There is so much more purpose than just our 24 hour routines and habits that make up our lives. Actually letting that sink in is like letting light flood in.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CS Lewis said, \u201cIf we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you feel stuck between knowing there has to be more, yet constantly wanting to give into your desires, and not knowing which is the way to actual full, abundant life, this is for you. Here are some things that I\u2019ve learned:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Pray for changed desires.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI have come that they may have life,<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span><\/i>and have it to the full.\u201d<\/span><\/i> (John 10:10)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.\u201d<\/span><\/i> (Philippians 4:8)<\/p>\n

In college, I prayed consistently and specifically for changed desires, that I would actually desire whatever was true and good. He changed my desires and I watched my relationships deepen and change with them. The peace I felt translated to all of the other areas of my life. My definition of fun changed. Experiencing an unwavering security and having deep relationships was fun. Having a purpose that was so much bigger than myself was fun. I think it\u2019s funny that now the most significant and meaningful parts of my life happen literally in the light\u2014 yes I still love doing fun things at night obviously\u2014but the parts that I care most about happen in the daylight. Mountain weekends, long walks with my husband AJ, dinners with my best friends, leading high school ministry on Mondays after work, painting in my art studio down the street, helping my friend with her nonprofit that fulfills the dreams of youth who have aged out of the foster care system. The life I\u2019m living on mission is just better in every way.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cbut whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. … Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.\u201d<\/em> (John 4:14)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t