Ephesians

Live with Understanding

Let’s look at the first of these characteristics. Paul writes: “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” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Paul says we must live wisely, understanding the nature of life (“the days are evil”), the nature of our opportunities, and the nature of God’s will. He is pointing out to us that evil times create opportunities for good. We must make the most of those opportunities created by evil days. The phrase “making the most” is a form of one Greek word in the original text, exagorazo, that can also be translated as “redeem” (see Galatians 3:13; 4:5). It means to buy up commodities in order to turn a later profit. If you buy stocks at a low price to sell later at a high price for a profit, you are “making the most of every opportunity.” That is the analogy suggested by Paul’s statement in these verses.

That’s a far cry from the outlook many Christians have toward evil days! Most of us see evil days as obstacles, as times of withdrawal and defeat. The wise Christian knows how to take advantage of evil times in order to advance the agenda of God’s kingdom. If you are under pressure, make the most of that time by manifesting the overcoming grace of God. Live with understanding and buy up the opportunities.

Paul also tells us that we need to understand the will of God. We need to be aware of what God wants out of every situation. Some people would understand the term “the Lord’s will” to mean specific guidance on what to do next, where to live, what job to have, whom to marry, and so forth. But that is not what Paul means when he talks about understanding the will of the Lord. God is not nearly so interested in what you do as in what you are.

Earlier in Ephesians 5, Paul said, “Live as children of light…and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8,10). Understanding what pleases the Lord is the same thing as understanding the will of the Lord. What pleases the Lord? One thing: Faith! “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” says Hebrews 11:6. Faith is believing God, believing what He says about life, believing what He says about people, believing what He says about ourselves. This is what the apostle is referring to—not trying to get specific guidance about this or that decision, but remembering that in every situation of our lives we are to act in reliance upon the Word of God.

Acting in faith means to adopt God’s evaluation of what the great values of life are. Acting in faith means to reject the success image that the world is constantly holding before us, and to seek the riches of Christ rather than the riches of this world. Acting in faith means that we apply Christian principles to our business relationships, our family relationships, and all the other relationships of our lives.

Paul is telling us not to be foolish and unwise, not to live as non-Christians live. We are not to blindly swallow the immoral propaganda that has infected our society. We are not to go along with the world in which we live; we are to stand against it. We are to live by faith and live wisely, understanding the evil nature of the world, and understanding the will of God for our lives.