Category Archives: Christ-like Priorities & Purposes

God exhorts us to “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” How we use our time is critical. We need to understand how precious each moment is so we don’t waste it. We have many opportunities to spend our time foolishly, sinfully. God wants us, instead, to make the most of every opportunity. Notice the reason for exercising such discernment and wisdom. — “the days are evil”

Until we gain a realistic perspective on life, we will not grasp the significance of using our time to its best advantage or benefit.

A realistic perspective says the “the days are evil” so I need to make the best choices in how I use my time. I need to line up with God and cooperate with Him in accomplishing His will during these last days. –“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Eph. 5:17)

A pessimistic view says “the days are evil” what can I do? I might as well eat, drink, and be merry. That perspective allows us to be overcome and controlled by what is going on around us.

To rise above, rather than conform, we need to keep going in Ephesians 5 to verses 18-20 which depict the opposite of a pessimistic view of life. — “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is that abundant, full life Jesus came to give us (Jn. 10:10). It has no expiration date. Nor does it have a conditional clause that makes it subservient to evil days.

Let’s ask ourselves these questions:

• Are we living in a way that sets us apart from the evil all around us?
• Are we living with the reality of how short our time to make a difference might be?
• Are we rising above the evil around us, proclaiming Jesus as the answer rather than living for self?
• Are we living within the joy of the Lord despite the circumstances around us?

According to Ephesians 5:15-16, making the most of every opportunity requires wisdom. Living “not as unwise but as wise” takes discernment, being careful in the choices we make.

Have you ever thought about why Ephesians 5:15 words our need for wisdom with both the negative and positive expression? Why not merely say “be very careful, then, to live wisely”? Perhaps God wants us to contrast the two ways we can use time for we will either live foolishly or wisely.

We might want to ask ourselves questions like the following that depict the contrast:

• Is what I want to do going to enhance life and not merely consume time?
• Am I truly meeting needs, meeting people where they are, or just oiling the machinery of status quo?
• Am I choosing the best of the choices or being satisfied with that which is mediocre rather than that which is excellent?

The Wisdom Needed to Make the Most of Life Comes from God

Let’s remember the Source of wisdom — God Himself. We must take time to get to truly know God in the fullness of who He is. Our hearts must be focused on the Lord because His character and ways define wisdom.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov. 9:10)

Let’s turn to the Source of wisdom. We must be people of consistent and persistent prayer if we are going make the most of every opportunity.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. (Prov. 3:5-7)

One of the key Bible verses guiding the use of our time could be Ephesians 5:15-16.

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

These verses not only instruct us to make the best use of our time but also cue us in on what is required to do that:

• discernment (“be very careful, then”)
• wisdom (“not as unwise but as wise”)
• perspective (“because the days are evil”)

This post will look at the first requirement, with subsequent posts presenting the other requirements for making the most of every opportunity.

To Make the Most of Every Opportunity Requires Discernment

“Be very careful” comes from two Greek words: blepo (to see) and akribos (accurately, exactly) If we are going to make the most of every opportunity we must observe what is going on around us and properly interpret it. Use discernment! The King James Version words it, “See then that ye walk circumspectly.”

How are we going to be discerning? — by looking at life through the grid of God’s Word.

In speaking of the Word, Hebrews 5:14 clearly states that it is those “who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” The more time we spend with God in His Word, seeking to learn how it applies to life, the more discerning we will be.

We can’t just coast through life and not think about what we are doing if we want to do what is best. We must take what we know from God’s Word and start by asking ourselves questions like:

Is what I want to do God-honoring?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

Does it line up with God’s character and ways?

Be perfect (complete), therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Pet. 1:15-16)

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love … (Eph. 5:1-2)

Would Jesus do it if He was here?

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17)

When we take the time to stop and ask ourselves these questions about how we plan to use our time, and bring what we do into alignment with a positive response to these questions, we are exercising the discernment needed to make the most of every opportunity.

Most people have goals. Most churches have goals. The goals may not have been articulated but they are there nonetheless. What are your goals? Are they worthy goals? Prayerfully, as a believer in Jesus Christ, your goals grow out of your relationship with God and are accomplished in accordance with godly ways and means. As a Church, your goals should reflect His purposes and be accomplished in accordance with God’s wisdom and power.

Tips for Establishing Worthy Goals

We can learn much about what constitutes a worthy goal for Christians by looking at the Apostle Paul’s example in Philippians 3:10-14. Of course, this specific goal can and should be one of our own. But, what we want to do here is to extrapolate from this passage principles we can apply to any goals we might set as an individual believer or as a Church.

1) Develop meaningful, eternal-oriented goals.

Consider the Apostle Paul’s goal:

I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:10-11)

2) Be committed to fulfilling your goals.

The Apostle Paul obviously committed himself to his goal.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Phil. 3:12)

3) Put your confidence in God.

The Apostle Paul counted his personal accomplishments as rubbish.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. (Phil. 3:7) . . . not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Phil. 3:9)

4) Don’t wallow in past mistakes or accomplishments.

The Apostle Paul understood his own humanity. His past failing as a persecutor of the Church and present accomplishments as a church leader didn’t define him but rather God’s grace (1 Cor. 15:10) and power at work in and through Him (1 Cor. 2:4-5; 2 Cor. 4:7).

I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal . . . (Phil. 3:13-14)

For Church Leaders to Read: Goal-Setting & Vision Casting

For Bible Teachers: Teaching Goals – Lesson Aims Resources