Ephesians (W9D5) Be Very Careful
Week 9. Friday: Be Very Careful
PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word.
READ: Ephesians 5:15-20
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine,which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words
Be Very Careful (Greek: blepō): to see, discern, understand clearly
Making the Most of Every Opportunity (Greek: exagorazō kairos):
Literally, “making the most of your allotted time” in this life.
Paul uses the word kairos (limited time) rather than chronos (ongoing time).
So we must be very careful not to waste the short life God has given us.
The Days are Evil (Greek: hēmera eimi ponēros): each day brings a hinderance
The Ephesians lived in a pagan culture surrounded by evil.
Today’s culture seeks to hinder our efforts for serving God.
Therefore, we must use our days wisely and devoted them to God.
Foolish (Greek: aphrōn): without reason, senseless, without reflection or intelligence
Fools will not listen to wisdom (Proverbs 12:15).
Fools may know what is right, but they do what is wrong anyway.
Understand (Greek: syniēmi): to set or join together in the mind
Drunk (Greek: methyskō): intoxicated, never permitted for believers
Debauchery (Greek: asōtia): loss of control, wild, to throw off all moral restraint
Filled with the Spirit (Greek: plēroō en pneuma): full to the top, abounding
APPLY: What is this passage calling me to do?
Since our time in this life is so short, we ought to be very careful how we live. As followers of Christ, we should never waste our days living for ourselves. There are opportunities all around us to serve God, thank God, and bring Him glory.
What specific areas of your life do you need to be more careful?
What opportunities are you missing? How can you change that?
In what areas of your life do you need to be more thankful?
PRAY: Ask God to give you the wisdom and courage to do His will.
