Walk in the Light Women's Dinner Recap by Jessica Lawler
On Friday, October 18th the Women Around Southeastern hosted an event entitled “Walk in the Light.” The room was beautifully decorated and women oohed and ahhed as they entered. The night had been set apart for worship, fellowship, and teaching.
We started with a time of worship that quieted our hearts and then we enjoyed a delicious meal catered by Bella Italia. As we ate, there was a buzz in the room as women from different walks of life chatted and connected, united as the body of Christ.
The theme for the event, “Walk in the Light,” comes from the passage 1 John 1:5-10
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Missie Branch, the Assistant Dean of Students to Women, introduced the passage and challenged the women to dispel the darkness with truth from God’s Word and pursue a daily walk in the light of Christ. Then Missie introduced her panel for the evening: Ingrid Candor, Sherelle Ducksworth, Kat Myers, and Kelsey Hamilton. These women spoke honestly on the important topics of self-righteousness, envy, and integrity.
Self-righteousness was defined as pride in our abilities or morality, masquerading as holiness apart from Christ. When we look inwardly for our righteousness, we are minimizing the work that Christ did on the cross. Rather than focusing on the One who has justified us, we turn the spotlight on our efforts, our striving, our pride. To combat self-righteousness, we need to meditate on the Gospel, live in Christian community, and intentionally seek out accountability.
Kelsey Hamilton delivered a heartfelt message about envy. She vulnerably shared about her tendency to struggle with coveting others’ marriages, children, possessions, and ministry. Kelsey reminded the women of this vital truth: envy and holiness cannot coexist. At the core of the matter, envy is a never-satisfying trap because, rather than recognizing God’s goodness, we are consumed with what we don’t have, leading to feelings of discontentment, comparison, entitlement, and isolation. To fight against wallowing in envy, we need to draw close to God, the One who meets all of our needs according to His grace and in His timing.
The final topic for the panel discussion was integrity. God sees our hearts, He hears our thoughts, and He wants us to walk with Him in the light. We were challenged to live in such a way that honors Jesus, both when we’re in public and when we’re alone. We cannot walk in the light on Sundays and then linger in darkness the rest of the week. We cannot turn our light on when others are watching and then wallow in darkness when we’re alone. The transformational truth of the Gospel, the hope we have in Jesus, the power that defeated sin - it dispels the darkness! We seek to live lives of integrity so that we may point others to Jesus.
After the panel discussion, the band came up and led us in a heartfelt time of worship where we could begin to process through what we had heard and re-align our affections with the One who has called us to turn from darkness and walk in the light.
The evening ended with treats, both for the belly and the mind. There was a fun candy buffet set up and a table full of resources (books and Bible studies) free for the taking. The ladies excitedly perused the tables, filling their arms with resources and their cups with candy as they chatted about what God was teaching them and how much they were challenged and encouraged by the evening’s discussion.
The Women Around Southeastern community is a welcoming place where ladies from different phases and stages can come together to study God’s Word, tackle tough issues, and grow closer to one another as we seek to honor Jesus with our lives and fulfill the Great Commission. If this sounds like something your heart is longing for, we’d love to have you join us!
Jessica Lawler
