Lesson 24 - Walking Carefully
Read Ephesians 5:1-33 - https://www.bible.com/bible/59/eph.5.esv
In addition to walking in love and in light, Jesus says we are also to walk carefully, paying attention to how we’re walking. We will look at how to walk carefully with God, and then with others.
The first example of what it means to walk carefully with God is found in verse 16, which tells us we are to make the best use of our time. Someone might ask, “what kinds of things aren’t good uses for my time?” But this isn’t about making lists. What may be bad use of time for one might be good use of time for another. For example, a teacher spending time at school is making good use of their time; but if I as a parent am worried about my child’s safety and I spend hours at school watching to see if someone is coming to hurt my child, I’m not using my time wisely. I’m not wrong for wanting to protect my child, but I’m not using my time the best. Making the best use of our time is spending it doing what God asks us to do – making a home for our family, teaching, writing, working in the factory, planting crops, and so on.
That leads to verse 17 – how do we know and understand what the will of the Lord is? I heard someone say, just a few days ago, that if you feel God is leading you to do something (for example be a teacher) but you don’t know where, just go to where your heart wants to go – the worst that will happen is that the “wrong people” will learn. However, if you’re teaching about God, is there ever a “wrong person” who can learn about Him? Of course not! The key is to first do those things you know God asks of you – love each other, pray, give thanks, seek Him first, and so on. There is a principle in Psalm 37:4 we can count on – “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This is not a formula for success and getting what we want – it is only a promise that if you put God first in your life, your heart will want what He wants for you.
In verse 18, our next way of walking with God carefully contrasts being filled with the Spirit with being drunk. When you are drunk you do not choose your actions, but when you are filled with the Spirit you consciously choose to walk in His path and in His guiding power. Your relationship with the Holy Spirit is a moment-by-moment submission to His will.
And lastly, walking carefully with God is done with three relationships we have with other people: 1) addressing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to encourage each other; 2) giving thanks to God for everything is a way of witnessing to others; and 3) submitting to one another is to demonstrate Christ’s love to each other. We look at these more in the next lesson. Again, walking carefully means walking in conscious choice to seek what is best for your relationships.
*By walking carefully with God we will make the best use of our _____
*Our relationship with the Holy Spirit is a moment-by-moment submission to His _____
*Walking carefully means walking in conscious choice to seek what is best for our _____