Influencers Weekly Devotional

Go With ME   Embracing Our Sacred Responsibility

Walking in the Light

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1: 5-7     What does it mean to walk in the Light? To fully accept this invitation we must understand there is more to it than simple illumination, although that is a big part. Our walk in the Light must consider that God is Light, and what He gives us is illumination, if we walk with Him. Why is this distinction important? Consider the next verse as we dig in for an answer. "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace- loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." James 3:14-17 (NIV)   James, who was the half-brother to Jesus, but describes himself as Jesus' servant, mentions in the above passage that there are two kinds of wisdom: wisdom that is unspiritual and wisdom from God. The wisdom we receive from God can also be described as His "light," or enlightenment. The wisdom we gain in dealing with the world value system and its people has a degree of value, but it will always be tainted with the influence of the devil. How so? Remember, it was the devil who rebelled against God and His operating system. As a result, he was cast out of heaven. He then corrupted earth by tempting Adam and Eve to sin against God, which they did. From that point in history until this present day, the entirety of the human race and the planet we live on, has lived and died with the consequences of this sin. Randy Alcorn, in his book Heaven, writes that not only did mankind receive death as a consequence of sin, the earth, animals and vegetation were corrupted, as well. Before the corruption that sin brought, the earth and its inhabitants lived an ideal existence. No sickness or death. No weeds or toil by the sweat of brow. The earth was stable and under the blessing of God. There were likely no tornadoes, hurricanes, floods or earthquakes. Humanity was created by God to live in an ideal environment, which He initially provided. But the old Corrupter brought his system into the world, and as a result, the best wisdom derived from the world or the flesh will always be tainted by the influence of the devil. God's wisdom (light) can be sought and provided through a relationship with Jesus Christ. But as with all relationships, time together in the relationship is required. So, it requires us to be in the presence and listen to the One from whom we seek to gain wisdom. In a like manner, in order to receive light from God, we must walk with Him. Now I realize that some of you might not fully grasp what it means to "walk" with God. Before going further, consider some men who walked with God:

"Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Genesis 5:24

"Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." Genesis 6: 9

It is apparent that Enoch and Noah walked with God, as these passages indicate. In reading more deeply into the story of each man, you will also note that these men lived by faith, and God delighted in them because of it. Faith is the key connector for a "walk with God." Without faith it is impossible to please Him (see Hebrews 11:6). It is also a fact that wisdom from God is transferred through our faith in Him. However, it always comes back to our need to have close proximity to God, in order to receive the things that God can do in us. God is raising up men who walk with Him. It is in this close, personal connection with Him that He is transferring His wisdom, and it is this wisdom that helps us process life, as no other wisdom can provide. To the people of the world who operate under its system, we look non-traditional, and intellectually suicidal. But this is because they do not understand God's operating system, for they have no faith in Him. They can see only finite, tangible solutions in problem-solving and have a deathly fear that their solution would be out of control. This, in turn, inspires fear-based planning, and fear-based decision-making. This approach shows us how the world system is flawed and tainted by the Great Deceiver. However, faith in God shows us that control in an illusion, and we must solve our problems with God's spiritual wisdom if we want His control of things. But in doing so, we must give control over to God. One of the great failures of leadership in churches and ministries, such as Influencers, is the use of earthly wisdom rather than wisdom from above to lead. Many times, the criteria for leadership in these ministries is established based on success in business, or some other endeavor. For a ministry, the main standards for selecting leaders should be godliness, faith, and humility, for these are the highest qualities God looks for in a leader. Humble dependence on God is the wisest way to lead, walking with God, spending time with Him, listening to Him. This way, we process decisions through His wisdom, and this is how He can lead us. May it be that Influencers will always seek leaders who seek our King's wisdom. When we walk with Light, we are given light. Apart from Light, we walk in darkness. When we abide in Christ, we will bear fruit; if we do not abide in Him, we will bear no fruit. The two allegories sound similar don't they? It is because they both lead us in the same direction, which is to close proximity with Christ. To His glory, Rocky TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THIS DEVOTIONAL, CLICK HERE