Verse 15-16 sets the stage for what Paul says in the next few verses: “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.”
Two things stood out to me this week as I pondered this passage.
1) We should make the most of every opportunity in the way we talk with others (v.19) – Have you ever noticed how boring our conversations are sometimes? We talk about the same old mundane stuff. How was your day? What do you think about this weather? How’s your health these days? What if we were to be a little more intentional in our conversations and talk about God stuff. When is the last time someone asked you one of the following questions:
- So, tell me about what you have been reading in the Word lately?
- How has God been working in your life lately?
- What is the biggest spiritual battle that you have been dealing with lately?
- What are the questions that you have been wrestling with as you seek to live a life of faith?
It just seems to me that our conversations could use a bit more spice in them.
2) We should make the most of every opportunity in the way we talk with the Lord (v.19-20) – Likewise, as with people, our conversations with the Lord are often characterized by the mundane, by selfishness, and by lack of faith. What if our prayers were largely God-focused instead of me-focused? What if we sang to the Lord – what if we crafted our own hymns and “made music in our hearts to the Lord”? What if in our asking we were more kingdom oriented? What if gratitude was the primary language of our prayers?
Let’s take advantage of the opportunities we have when we speak with people and with God. Let’s make our conversations decidedly different than the conversations that everyone else is having. Let’s begin to speak in ways that bless others as well as blesses the Lord.