Choose to walk in wisdom

Paul gives a little advice on walking in wisdom and making the most of our time in his letter to the Ephesians.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. – Ephesians 5:15-21 (ESV)

We can live our lives in two ways, wise or foolish, and many of us walk between the two tensions. Wanting to be wise, but often making foolish decisions.

Walking in wisdom is making the best of the time we have. It’s so easy to get distracted because foolishness doesn’t come packaged with a label marked foolish.

In this small piece of scripture we are encouraged to:

•Understand the will of the Lord

•Turn away from wrongdoing

•Be filled with the spirit

•Speak to each other in the right way

•Give thanks for all you have

•Submit to one another.

The will of the Lord may not always seem clear, but we are told what He expects of us.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8

Knowing God’s will and avoiding wrongdoing should become easier as we grow closer to Him. We need to be filled with the spirit daily to walk in His power and become mature Christ followers.

In Ephesians 5:19 we are told to speak to each other with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

This suggests that we should speak words of encouragement over each other.

The word psalm means praise and hymns are songs which glorify God.

I also wonder if this has something to do with the ‘new song’ which we are encouraged to sing to the lord throughout scripture. A new song will rise within us when we are overwhelmed with God and His goodness toward us. A new spiritual song can be the spontaneous song of praise we offer up when Holy Spirit power falls on us.

I believe God loves to see those who take the time to look for the good in others and then give praise to God and encouragement to people.

The way we speak to each other or about each other is important to God, because we are all His workmanship.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

We can choose to be those who seek out the good things God is doing in us and in the lives of others and when we see it, we should speak out our praise to God for it, because it came from Him.

Giving thanks for every good gift because it is given by God. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. – James 1:17

When we choose to walk this way and speak this way over the lives of those around us, we will encourage each other to go further and live as wise rather than foolish.