Walk Circumspectly

Today we are reading Ephesians 5. Read it and jot down anything that stands out to you. When you are done, go ahead and read on.

Are you noticing that every chapter in Ephesians is packed with things that are challenging and convicting you? Chapter 5 is no different. I want you guys to really be thinking about all the material in this chapter, so before I share my thoughts, answer these questions:

Verse 1 talks about following God's example in everything we do. What's one way you are currently doing that?

Verse 2 talks about living a life filled with love for others. How should that be seen in us?

Verses 3-5 are talking about some specific sins that we should have no part in. What is the biggest struggle for you of the things mentioned? (You can write in code if you're afraid someone might see what you wrote. And we're not gonna make you share these answers later.)

Verses 8-14 talk a lot about light and darkness. That's one of those topics that is seen throughout Scripture. What is the coolest thing you've ever heard about light vs. darkness?

Verses 16-17 encourage us not to act thoughtlessly but to make the most of the time we have been given and to try to understand what the Lord wants us to do. How do you do that? How do you know what the Lord wants you to do?

Verse 19 talks about worshiping and making music to the Lord. What's a song that the lyrics have had an impact on you lately? (Doesn't necessarily have to be a "worship" song...)

Verses 21-33 talk about husbands and wives. Being that most of us here aren't married, I assume you may have skimmed through that part a little thinking it's not relevant to you now. If that's the case go read those verses again. Then come back to these questions. What is one insight you can glean from this passage? What's one thing you can learn about our relationship with Christ from the marriage illustration?

Any other comments you want to make on any of these verses?

The verse that sticks out to me the most is verse 15. "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise." It's a pretty simple idea-be careful how you live, but what does that actually look like for us?

In the King James Version, it says, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." I think circumspectly is a cool word and it adds to our understanding of the verse. It means to be aware of circumstances and potential consequences.

Think about this week... we made all sorts of preparations in the weeks prior to coming: getting our passports, making sure we had the proper gear, finding formal wear , maybe did a little exercising. Why? Well our circumstances involve us crossing the Canadian border. The consequence of no passport is not entering the country. The consequence of having a passport (and notarized letter) is being allowed into Canada. Our next circumstances involve us needing quick drying clothes, good shoes, our food, rain jacket, etc. The consequence of not having this gear is being uncomfortable, hungry, and potentially hypothermic. The consequence of having this gear is being comfortable, fed and dry. By "walking circumspectly" we know what's going on and are making preparations for the best possible trip. We're being wise, not unwise men.

It's important to be aware of both circumstances and consequences in order to make wise choices.

For instance, we all know eating fatty foods and not getting enough exercise leads to being overweight and lots of potential health problems. A few years back, I was aware of the potential consequences of fatty foods and little exercise. However, I didn't have a realistic view of my circumstances. I didn't think I was that big or my food was that unhealthy or I wasn't that inactive. Then one day I go to the doctor and am told I have high blood pressure which gave me a much clearer view of my circumstances. Being aware of both my circumstances and potential consequences, I was able to change the way I walked and make wiser choices.

Other times, you may not actually know the potential consequences a decision you are making has. A few weeks ago, I was kayaking with my friend on her birthday. We caught a few little turtles and she decided to take one home as a birthday present. After we kayaked, we met up with some additional friends who informed us that these particular turtles are a protected species and illegal to take. So we let the little fella (who had these sweet ninja designs on his belly) go. Had we been caught taking the turtles, our ignorance of the consequences would not have excused us from suffering them. Without thinking about (or knowing) consequences, you can't make wise decisions.

Paul is obviously talking in much more spiritual terms. As we live, we need to be aware of our circumstances. We need to think about the decisions that we are making and what the consequences of those decisions are. What's going on in your life these days? Are you aware of your circumstances and their potential consequences?

Sometimes there are potential consequences that aren't clearly positive or negative. Sometimes our potential consequences may be two good things, so how do we know what to do? This isn't easy. There aren't always going to be obvious choices to some of our decisions. So again, how do we know what to do? "Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord." (v10) How do you find out what's pleasing to the Lord? 

Take some time to pray. Ask God to help you be aware

of your circumstances and potential consequences so you can make wise decisions. Ask Him to give you the motivation to be in His Word so you can find out what's pleasing to Him.

(Oh and there's no special surprise... My circumstance was a super busy and overcommitted week and the consequence of being so busy was not finishing this devo in time to put it in the booklet...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For youth group, I wrote a few of the devotionals we put in a booklet for the teens. First trip we did was a Wilderness Trip to Canada and we were studying Ephesians and grace. This was the devo I wrote on Chapter 5. (In the devo booklet on Day 5 it said they wouldn't be given the devo for the day because there was a special surprise I'd be giving them. That's why my parenthetical note is listed at the bottom.)