Walking in His Ways: Who Do You Walk With?

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16

 When you read these verses, how does the word, “you” stand out to you? Do you see it as a personal exhortation? That would be quite reasonable as we typically see our walk with God as a personal one. We see dos and don’ts as relating to our individual walk. But the reality is that Paul was not writing this letter to a person, but to a church – to all the churches really. When he says, “Be very careful, then, how you live,” he’s telling the church as a whole that they need to be careful together how they live. They say no man is an island, and that is especially true in context of the church and our walk with God. Never, at any point, did He call us to do this alone. So how, then, do we be careful how WE live?

 The first thing Paul says here is that we need to live with wisdom. Where do you get wisdom? We’ve been given a few different avenues for pursuing this. God gave us His Word, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit to help us understand and interpret it. He also gave us wise theologians throughout history that delved into the original grammar and cultural context that most of us would have no idea about. Today, these resources are readily available to us online, most without any cost. I, personally, really like the blueletterbible.org for its versatility and ease of use, but there are many other resources out there you can choose from. These allow us to hear from God, who wrote through the various authors of the Bible and, I believe, continues to teach us through wise leaders who have written on it since. But just as we can learn through the writings of other believers, there are a multitude of ways that we can be wise together in our lives. You might include teachings from your church’s pastor or teaching team. This might include a Bible study you do with other believers. It might look like a mentor relationship you engage in. Perhaps it’s just living life alongside other believers and remaining open to each other for correction and direction. When you’re going through a particular struggle, who do you reach out to for advice and support? Are they someone who has demonstrated a personal value for the teachings of Jesus and who lives them out? You have to be careful not to set yourself up in an echo chamber, or a situation in which you only have your own ideas and opinions affirmed. Here’s a little video to break this down:

 

 Things may sound like wisdom, especially if they affirm something you already believe, but it’s so important to double check. Trust, but verify. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned and grown over my spiritual life by having ideas and concepts I adhered to challenged. Sometimes I came out of those challenges with my concept being affirmed and even more solidified in my mind, but more often, I learned something new. I saw a new perspective. I grew in my understanding. My mind is so finite, and God is so infinite. I will never understand everything about Him, and actually, that’s pretty cool. I get to keep learning forever, and I rather enjoy learning!

 The LGG Blog for today's passage shared something that stood out to me:

And may you know, deep down, that wise living doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from walking with the One who is the Way.

Here's the Thing: How, then, should we live? With wisdom together. We should purpose to live in a way that pleases and honors God, making wise choices. In order to do that, we need to remain in community and be open to the things God has to teach us through others, even when they are not easy, or comfortable, or something we necessarily want to hear. How does God speak wisdom into your life?