Are we Living well?

Ephesians 5:15-20 “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This past Sunday, our pastor asked the church a question. In challenging times such as these, it is not just about getting through these times and situations but are we making that choice to live well?

As we continue to adapt to this changed way of life with an increased awareness that this might be our new normal for a while, I found that I was reminded of the verse above in Ephesians 5 as I thought about being careful on how you live.

I am sure many of us would have thought in the very start of this mayhem that this is not going to be this way for long. As we realised that this is how life is going to look for a while, we also realise that we cannot live for long with a ‘living in the waiting room mentality’ – it is depressing and makes this ordeal feel never ending.

Be very careful on how you live- Are we living well at this time?

One of the ways of being careful in how we live in the midst of all this, is to choose to live well at these times.

Just enduring and waiting for this to pass might make us miss out on the what God will teach us at this time. So, to live well as a child of God and as Paul emphasises about making the most of every opportunity – I reminded myself that

1. Let us not miss opportunities to grow in our faith as we lean on Him at these uncertain times.
2. Not miss out on spending some extra time with God.
3. Not miss out on opportunities to live for God in the midst of all this.
4. Not miss out on making the wise use of our time.
5. To share His saving grace with someone else.

Being careful on how we live – don’t miss out on what God is asking of you and putting in your path at this time.

Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

To understand God’s will we must know His word and spend time in prayer.

Being careful on how we live – dig into His word and spend time in prayer to know His will for you at this time. How do we wish to gain some clarity from HIM if we are unwilling to invest with our time in our relationship with God?

Paul goes on to say – “Be filled with the Spirit” – What influence are we operating under?  Are we allowing what is happening around us to have more influence on us or are we letting the word of God and His peace take precedence over everything else? The spirit empowers for worship, service and testimony. Let God be in control of you.

Being careful on how we live – an intentional choice to be filled with the spirit and under God’s influence especially at this time

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs – I love that people are connecting more at this time and everyone is so encouraging and positive as we speak to one another. The psalms we read are filled with praise, thanksgiving and an honest outpouring of emotions. And let that be a reflection of what we share with one another.

I have the privilege of leading a women’s bible study group and at the moment we meet up online once a week and are in regular communication throughout the week. I find our exchanges to be grounded in His word, reminding each other of His sovereignty and His presence. The encouragement given to each other is not laden with superficial appeasements but rooted in who God is and His promises. We also share our worries and fears, it is good to give voice to them. Just because we are people of faith it does not mean we will not be riddled with those feeling from time to time. Remember that Satan wants us to feel fearful but unless we share it with God and with trusted confidants, we might miss out on experiencing God use someone else to pour His peace into our lives.

Be careful on how you live– a choice at this time to speak His word, to spread His love, praise HIM, point to HIM an be His living testimony.

Paul continues to say in verse 20 “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.” Giving thanks in difficult situations helps me bring my focus back to Him, helps me to feel His presence when I otherwise would tend to focus more on the wind and waves crashing against me. It reminds me that He is my anchor. It reminds me that we may be pressed on every side by troubles but we are not crushed (2 Cor 4:8).

Be careful on how you live – a choice to start each day with thanks no matter what the day entails, to go through the day peppered with thanks and to end the day with gratitude and thanks.

Gratitude is Grat-itude which to me reads as a ‘great attitude’ to have.

So, lets be very careful then how we live at this time- not just be aware of what we need to do physically and endure this season but let us live well.

God Bless.