Living Wisely

Ephesians 5:15–20 NIV

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be careful how you walk...

Manage your time well… Use it or lose it.

This doesn’t necessarily mean conquer the world or getting THINGS done. Sometimes to redeem the time means to make the most of a moment of opportunity.

It’s that word KAIROS

not the chronos world of digital watches and nanoseconds. It’s looking at time with a bigger perspective. Maybe you could even say an eternal perspective. So you do the IMPORTANT thing over the urgent thing. Others might disagree with your choice, but you make it with God in view. He’s the audience you need to please. Not your biggest critic. That could mean leaving a to do list unchecked so you can affect someone’s life forever. By spending time with them. Not chronos time but kairos time. Like you’ve got all the time in the world. That’s how God spends time with us. Are you willing to “waste” time in God’s presence in prayer and silence? That’s how you’ll be able to do the rest of this stuff well.

So there are two ways to look at time. Filling it up or redeeming it. The choice is yours..

Two paths: Wisdom and Folly

Foolish Living- snap decisions, careless steps, forgetting what’s at stake

The Lord’s Will- this means think about it. Pray about it. Give God a moment or even better a few days to make things clear from a biblical, loving, holy perspective.

Singing?

Yeah, singing. For some of us it comes naturally. Not that we are necessarily good at it. But we enjoy at least humming along or listening to a song we love. Music has the power to change your mood and even transport you into God’s presence.

Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters Light and Darkness (Ephesians 5:11–20)

The singing that Paul has in mind is the ultimate antidote to living in the darkness of immorality that pervades the surrounding world. Yet again his emphasis is on the mind, and the need for wisdom. It is vital not to slide along through life in a general foolish haze, hoping things will work out all right but not being prepared to think them through, to figure out where this or that type of behaviour will really lead. That is the way of death, and you need to wake up and rise from the dead, relying on the Messiah, already risen, to shine his light on you. Then you’ll be able to walk in the light, instead of going down the dark alleys (whether literal or metaphorical) that lead to sin and death.

Two Methods: Escape vs Fully Engaged

Two Devices: Substance Abuse vs Presence

Getting drunk or high leads to many other problems in life...

Being Filled with the Spirit leads to good and wholesome things...

Two Keys:

1. Empty/Open: Empty yourself of controlling influences. Open yourself to more of God

2. We answer this call together. (Everything is plural, even the commands to not get drunk and to be filled with the Spirit)