Living By Faith Blog

Notice the reasons

My father taught that when we read the Bible we should not just notice the commands — but also the reasons given for those commands.

That makes all the difference when I try to obey Paul’s command about using time —

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Eph 5:15-16

Make the best use of the time

So what IS the best use of our time?

We will each answer that differently, depending on our jobs, marital status, and so forth.

But there are some practices God calls all of us to pursue, like —

• prayer
• study of God’s Word
• fellowship with other believers
• evangelism

Clearly, these are some of the best uses of our time.

But let’s be honest —

This is not easy

We wake up tired — and sleep beckons.

We come home from work or school — and “Iron Chef” or “The X Factor” awaits.

We’ve got a free Saturday afternoon — and Drudge or Google news or Facebook invites.

And before we know it — another week is over and we’ve barely prayed, read God’s Word, connected meaningfully with other believers, or done anything to advance the Gospel.

So how can we obey Paul’s command?

Notice Paul’s reason

Paul doesn’t just COMMAND us to use our time wisely.

Paul gives us a REASON which the Holy Spirit will use to motivate us.

So what’s the reason?  Read the verses again and notice the word “because” —

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Eph 5:15-16

The reason is — “because the days are evil.”

How does THAT motivate me?

It’s puzzling.

How does the evil of the days motivate me to use my time wisely?

Here’s the connection Paul wants us to make —

Use your time wisely, because the days are evil, and your time can overcome some of that evil.

Let me explain —

The days are evil

The Fall happened.  Sin entered the world.

So evil exists.  It’s ugly, dangerous, and aggressive.

Evil is in Satan — who enslaves unbelievers and seeks to devour believers.

Evil is in unbelievers — hardening their hearts to the good news of Jesus.

And evil is in you and me — in our remaining sin — seeking to destroy us spiritually.

What can we do?

In great mercy, through Jesus, God has given us weapons by which we can conquer some of that evil.

Those weapons are prayer, God’s Word, fellowship, and evangelism.

So when you are tempted to waste time — think of it like this —

• 5 minutes of Bible-reading right now could — by God’s grace — strengthen you against Satan.
• 5 minutes of prayer right now for spiritual strength could — by God’s grace — weaken sin’s power in you.
• 5 minutes of prayer right now for other believers could — by God’s grace — strengthen them against Satan’s attacks.
• 5 minutes of prayer right now for unbelievers could — by God’s grace — bring more of God’s saving work into the world.
• Calling a brother in Christ right now could — by God’s grace — encourage him to resist temptation.
• Calling my neighbors and inviting them over could — by God’s grace — free them from Satan and bring them to faith.

Don’t misunderstand

We do need rest.

There are times when we need to relax and have fun.

And some of you might need to take more time to rest.

But others of us need to see that — the days are evil.  We are at war.  Eternity is at stake.  And there’s something we can do about it.

Imagine

Imagine that a vicious enemy is attacking your city to destroy you, your family, and everyone else.

But God has given you a bazooka which — every time you fire it — will always weaken the enemy, push back his attacks, and help spare your neighbors, friends, family, and yourself.

That’s the situation we face today.

The enemy is Satan and our sin.

The bazooka is prayer, God’s Word, fellowship, and evangelism.

So — as much as you can, given your other responsibilities — pick up the bazooka and fire away.

Make the best use of your time.

Thoughts?  Feedback?  Comments?

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Here’s some related posts you might find helpful —

•  Worship is a Weapon -- Let the "Revelation Song" Conquer Unbelief
• How to Obey God -- Self-Pushing or Spirit-Empowering?
• How the Holy Spirit enables us to obey

(Picture is from everystockphoto by ppdigital.)