Pieces of the Puzzle

Everything that is revealed by the light is light. Therefore, it says, Wake up, sleeper! Get up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Be filled with the Spirit

So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times. Because of this, don’t be ignorant, but understand the Lord’s will. Don’t get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5:14-20 (CEB)

“As I listen to myself and to other Christians, I notice that after some years of following Jesus we tend to suffer from various symptoms of drifting away.

When we were young in our faith, we were eager to give sacrificially of our time and resources to alleviate the pains of the poor; we were eager to take the time for daily reading of the scripture and prayer. Fasting was a spiritual delight, and we would plow through show up to our belt buckles to get to church on Sunday. Then, after some years, we began to drift away from the spiritual disciplines that sustained us in earlier times.

John labeled three deadly conditions that cause us to drift away from our earlier spiritual disciplines (1 John 2:16); lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life (or, if you will, lustful desires, wandering eyes, and greedy eyes- a false sense of security in our material possessions). John insisted that if we follow in these ways, we certainly will come to spiritual and ethical shipwreck.

Most Christians, I suppose, don’t come to such extreme conditions. But for many, after some years of faithful practice, spiritual rigor mortis sets in- and all is lost. Paul suggests an antidote for drifting away; ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’” (Eph 5:14-20) ~Norman Shawchuck

I have mentioned before that I hope when Christ comes I am on the “up-swing” and not on the “down-swing”. Sometimes I just get “tired” and discipline slips out the window. Other times I just get too busy with life. But Paul tells us in 2Thessalonians 3:6 guard against becoming idle. We are to be about God’s work.

Heavenly Father, help me this day to live wisely and not foolishly. Show me areas that I have drifted. Help me make the most of these days giving sacrificially my time and resources that Your kingdom may be glorified. Amen.