Dear friends,

Ephesians 5:15-16

Look carefully then, how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  

 

The days are indeed evil, just as they were at the time Paul was writing. In fact this has ALWAYS been the case. Nothing much has changed. Even over the last 2000 years when officially, Christianity appeared to be the dominating world religion, those who sought a deeper, direct relationship with Jesus Christ were often persecuted. These faithful believers were prepared to stand against the religious norms imposed on or by society, and many of them were imprisoned or killed for their faith in Christ. 

The world might wonder if that was really wise, but yes, it was very wise, because these Christians feared God rather than man. 

The Amplified Bible puts Jesus’ words in these terms in Luke 12:5:

“I will point out to you whom you should fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority and power to hurl [you] into hell; yes, I say to you, [stand in great awe of God and] fear Him!”

Proverbs 9:10 says this: 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

We need the wisdom of God as we walk in this increasingly confusing and conflictual world, but how ARE we to walk?

The Bible also tells us in James 3:17 [That] the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

This is an important reminder about our attitudes, especially in the face of mockery, or indeed, outright persecution. All too often, the human instinct is to respond to opposition with anger and fight violence with violence. We say to ourselves or others, “That’s not fair, that’s not right, someone should DO something”. This is very much a worldly response, a human response, but it is not a Godly response. It is not Godly wisdom.

James 1:5 tells us that, If any of us lacks wisdom, we are to ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to us.

As Christians, our first response should be to pray, to cry out to the Lord and find out what his will is, in every situation. People talk about the ten second rule, the internal pause button that enables us to respond rather than react in difficult situations. Maybe we should make it a prayer button, even if it is only a ten second prayer, it will enable us to reset our responses, or better still allow the Holy Spirit to reset our responses, and in many cases saving us from unintentional sin, from rushing in where angels fear to tread, and later regretting or needing to repent of what turned out to be rash words or deeds.

As Paul says in Ephesians 1:17

[I pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.

And above all, the wisdom not to be ashamed of standing firmly and faithfully for Christ, even in the face of opposition, as we continue to trust in the one who holds our souls in his hands.

With love in him,

Sarah

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