Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (ESV)
Paul is admonishing the Ephesian church to live in a way that honors Christ. Just as Christ loved us, so we should love. As inheritors of the kingdom of God we should display the fruit of the Spirit in our conduct and speech. We are no longer walking in darkness, but walking in the light of Christ. That light needs to be apparent, not veiled by compromise with the world.
This is what it means to walk as wise people. The days are evil. We are surrounded by temptations, and our sinful desires are easily attracted to the lure of the world. How easy it is to get drawn into worldly thinking which does not take the word of God as its foundation. Worldly thinking has no solid basis in objective truth. All it has is the shifting sand of subjective opinion and whatever “truth” is the flavor of the month. The wise Christian will discern this and avoid it, clinging instead to the firm foundation of God’s word. This will mean being counter-cultural, going against the flow. But this is why the days are evil. As a church we need to be willing to stand upon the revelation of God in Christ as divinely preserved for us in Scripture, no matter the cost.
Paul tells the Ephesians they need to “understand what the will of God is.” Notice, he doesn’t tell them to seek God’s will but to understand God’s will. This presumes that God’s will is something that is available to be studied, not something the believer needs to go figure out. Indeed, God has clearly told us what He wants us to do. That’s why He gave us Scripture, so we aren’t left to try to fathom God’s will on our own. So the Christian who is concerned to know God’s will is the Christian who is seriously engaged in studying Scripture.
As we evaluate how we make the best use of the time God has given us this week, let’s consider how many hours and minutes we spend in thinking, conversation, and action that line up more with our culture than with Scripture. Let us take every thought and deed captive and hold it up to the light of God’s word, rejecting anything that isn’t worthy of that standard. May we strive more and more to honor the Lord by thinking His thoughts after Him and walking in His light as we pursue His will set forth for us in His word.
Have a great week!