Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Eph. 5:15,16
Warnings are exactly what they are. Your freedom of choice is not trampled upon, but the consequences of not heeding the warning voluntarily are laid out for you. Paul, in the earlier verses, described how we were delivered from the addictions of our old sinful lives and now we live and walk as children of the light. To avoid relapsing to our sinful past, we must live wisely. Wise living is making the right and best decisions regarding every aspect of our lives.
Paul says that the days are evil and therefore the pressure is on us to conform to the evil ways that have become the acceptable norm. If the days were evil in Paul’s time, they are certainly much more today. All the opportunities in life that we have could be grouped into three categories: Time, Talent, and Treasure. So, how can we make the most of our Time, Talent, and Treasure in our evil world so that we live as wise people?
The world tells us not to put our eggs in one basket, but Jesus is challenging us to do the opposite – seek only Him, His Kingdom, and set our affections on things above. When we invest our Time, Talents, and Treasure in the eternal things – God, His Word, and the souls of men, we are wise. Anything short of that is not being wise since the non-eternal things will be destroyed. Let us live wise and right.
