Ephesians 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
OK, so technically this is not an afterthought because I am on vacation this week and didn’t preach, but if I would have been in the pulpit I would have continued on in Ephesians and dealt with this passage. I might have talked about what it means to live carefully, or the difference between living wisely as opposed to unwisely, or how to go about making the most of every opportunity, or what it might mean that the days are evil. I might even have tried to address all of these (I can visualize the congregation growing restless even as I write this). So much that could be said but only so much time. Maybe that was true for Paul and his readers also. Most of us have countless things we could, should, must, do on any given day; projects we have been putting off, people we have been meaning to contact, books we intend to read. How do we order our lives wisely, carefully, making the most of opportunities? I think we do this by being people firmly grounded in the bible and prayer. The bible is a big book and there are difficult things to understand in it, but a surprising amount is straightforward and speaks directly to the heart and mind. Prayer is an infinite mystery, but it can be as simple as bringing your heart and mind into the presence of God. I think most of us would agree with the thought expressed in these two verses above to a greater or lesser extent. The question is how to go about it. What are the principles and practices by which you order your life? Have you ever thought of the bible and prayer in this way? Maybe this week?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 