Time has a peculiar way of slipping through our fingers. One moment we’re changing diapers and buying hoodies that are too big, and the next, those same children have outgrown everything we bought just months ago. We look back and wonder where the years went, wishing we had spent more time doing this or that, wishing we had gathered more with fellow believers, wishing we had been more intentional with the moments God gave us.
The apostle Paul understood this reality when he penned his letter to the Ephesians. In chapter 5, verses 15-18, he delivers a sobering reminder: “Pay careful attention then to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Living Carefully in Dangerous Days
We live in a world where the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Notice—he’s like a lion, not actually a lion. But his intent remains singular and focused: to destroy anything important to God. And what’s important to God? Family. Faith. The church. You.
This reality demands that we live carefully. Not fearfully, but cautiously—like special forces operatives who seem fearless yet meticulously prepare for every mission. We must be careful in what we watch, what we listen to, what we say, and where we go. The enemy has plans, and we need to be wise enough not to walk blindly into his traps.
Consider how the church has compromised over the years. We’ve allowed things to creep in that would have been unthinkable to previous generations. What was once considered an abomination has become a celebration, demanding not just tolerance but participation and affirmation. We’ve remained silent when we should have spoken up, afraid of being canceled, afraid of losing people, afraid of being labeled.
But here’s the truth: someone is always watching you. If you’re a follower of Christ, you may be the only Bible some people ever read. And frankly, some of our Bibles aren’t telling a very good story.
The Bible People Read When They Look at You
Think about your daily life. When someone cuts you off in traffic and you respond with anger—what Bible are they reading? When you’re rude to the cashier because your order is taking too long—what message does that send? When you gossip about fellow believers or refuse to forgive over trivial matters—what gospel are you preaching?
The days are evil, and people are watching to see if what we claim to believe actually makes a difference in how we live. They’re watching to see if this Jesus we talk about on Sunday actually shows up in our lives on Monday through Saturday.
Living wisely means understanding that tomorrow isn’t promised. We can’t afford to waste today being petty, holding grudges, or sitting on the sidelines while the world burns. We need to redeem the time—to buy back the moments we’ve wasted and invest them in what matters eternally.
Understanding God’s Will
Many believers waste years asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” while doing absolutely nothing. They sit around waiting for a divine revelation, a burning bush experience, or an angelic visitation to tell them their purpose.
But here’s a revolutionary thought: just start doing something. Anything. Clean the church bathrooms. Be kind to the grocery store clerk. Visit the lonely. Feed the hungry. Give to those who can never repay you.
God’s will isn’t primarily about where you are but about who you’re becoming. Are you being transformed into the image of Christ? Are you growing in love, patience, kindness, and self-control? That’s God’s will.
The Bible makes clear that God wishes none would perish but all would come to repentance. He wants you to have the mind of Christ. Romans 8:29 tells us that we’re predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. That’s the will of God—your transformation, not your location.
When you start moving, when you start serving, when you start giving—that’s when God can direct your steps. You can’t steer a parked car. Get moving, and let Him guide you as you go.
Drunk on the Holy Spirit
Paul’s instruction not to get drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit is often misunderstood. He’s not necessarily forbidding all alcohol consumption; he’s warning against drunkenness and calling for something far better—being controlled by the Holy Spirit.
When someone is drunk on alcohol, they do things they would never do sober. The substance controls them. Similarly, when we’re “drunk” on the Holy Spirit, He controls us to the point where we do things we’d never do on our own. We forgive the unforgivable. We love the unlovable. We give sacrificially. We speak truth boldly. We serve humbly.
Here’s the reality: when you got saved, you received all the Holy Spirit you’re ever going to get. Being filled with the Spirit isn’t about getting more of Him; it’s about Him getting more of you. It’s about surrender, about letting Him dictate your actions, your words, your priorities.
How much control are you willing to give Him? It’s ironic that many of us who once willingly surrendered control to alcohol, pornography, or other addictions now struggle to surrender control to the One who loves us most and wants what’s best for us.
The Power of Gratitude in Suffering
Ephesians 5:20 calls us to give “thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Everything? Even the hard things?
Yes, even the hard things.
When was the last time you thanked God for something bad in your life? We readily thank Him for blessings, but thanking Him for trials requires a different level of faith. Yet Scripture promises that trials produce endurance, endurance produces character, and character shapes who we are.
Sometimes the worst things that happen to us become the very things God uses to bring us to where we need to be. The painful childhood. The broken relationship. The failed business. The health crisis. Looking back, we can often see how God was working even in the darkness, shaping us, preparing us, drawing us closer to Him.
Living as Family
The final instruction in this passage is perhaps the most challenging: “submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.” This requires that we actually know one another, spend time together, and work through our differences.
The modern church has become like a Sunday morning social club where we show up, sing a few songs, hear a message, and scatter. We don’t know each other’s struggles. We don’t bear one another’s burdens. When someone leaves the fellowship, we treat it like a divorce and stop communicating entirely.
But if we’re going to survive the persecution that’s coming—and it is coming—we need to function as a family. Not a dysfunctional family that gathers out of obligation, but a healthy family bound together by the blood of Jesus.
This means going out to eat together. Serving together. Praying together. Being there for each other in crisis. Getting past the petty disagreements and personality clashes that the enemy uses to divide us.
The Urgency of Now
Time is ticking. The world is getting darker. The church is under attack. But we have today. We have this moment. We can choose right now to live differently, to love more deeply, to serve more sacrificially, to speak truth more boldly.
Don’t wait for tomorrow to do what God is calling you to do today. Don’t waste another moment on bitterness, pride, or fear. Redeem the time. Live wisely. Be controlled by the Spirit. Give thanks in all circumstances. Submit to one another in love.
The days are evil, but the light of Christ in you can pierce the darkness. The question is: will you let it shine?
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 