Good Morning, Cherished Friends,
Among the letters of the apostle Paul that have been preserved for us in the New Testament is one labeled Ephesians. This letter, however, went not only to the church at Ephesus, but was circulated to young churches all around the Mediterranean rim where Paul had established congregations. In this letter, he is telling the new Christians how to live their lives. In essence, he said, “Let me give you a first step. If you will begin to ask this question, it will give you a head-start as it relates to somebody who is in the kingdom of God.”
Here’s what he said: “Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). In other words, Paul is saying we live in a time when culture can take us in directions that we don’t want to go. Consequently, we cannot be careless, we can’t simply go with the flow, because the flow can take us places where we don’t need to be.
The litmus test for every opportunity, every decision, every invitation isn’t what everybody else is doing. It isn’t what I did last time, or what I can get away with. The question Paul is urging us to learn how to ask is, “What is the wise thing for me to do?” The reason is simple. We are all so unbelievably smart, the easiest person in the world for you to deceive . . . is yourself. The easiest person to get you into trouble is you. We often look back at our worst decisions and say, “I don’t know how I got myself into that.”
The truth is, we sometimes make a series of unwise decisions that lead us to a big decision that was absolutely wrong. It was so easy! And the reason it was so easy is because you started with one unwise decision that led to another unwise decision. They weren’t wrong, or necessarily bad, they weren’t against the law, but unwise, unwise, unwise, unwise. Then, ultimately, we have a big fat mess.
Do you know why history keeps repeating itself for some people? Because they don’t pause to ask this question: what’s the wise thing for me to do? When we can honestly ask that question, often the curtain suddenly parts, and you know exactly what you should do. You know exactly where you shouldn’t go. And exactly who you shouldn’t invite. Why it’s a bad idea.
If this one question could become the centerpiece to all our decision making in the future, it would bring great clarity to some of life’s most complex situations. It would also bring clarity to you specifically. It’s a question that could save you a lot of money, a lot of time, and even a lot of tears. What’s the wise thing for me to do?
Make the most of every opportunity,
Bruce Jones,
Pastor Imagine Church
