A Cautionary Tale

 

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

—The words of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians 5:15-17

 

Does your daily walk match your talk? Here’s a cautionary tale to consider:

 

As Ted battled rush hour traffic, the light turned yellow just in front of him as he drove cautiously in his blue minivan. He did the right thing, stopping at the white line before the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. A tailgating woman braked sharply behind him. She was furious as she honked her horn and screamed in frustration at missing her chance to get through the intersection. In her anger, she dropped her cell phone and the makeup she had been so carefully applying while trying to rush down the busy street.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He handcuffed her, placed her in the back of his patrol car, and took her to the police station where she was searched by a female officer, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policewoman approached the cell and opened the door. The incarcerated woman was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the “What Would Jesus Do” decal on your rear window, the “Choose Life” license plate holder, the “Follow Me to Sunday School” bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally I assumed you had stolen the car.”

 

Certainly something to think about. Here’s an expansion on the Scripture passage quoted at the beginning of this blog post to give you a bit more of the context of Paul’s message to the church at Ephesus from Ephesians 5:8-20:

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. ¹⁴ This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Let’s determine to be careful how we live—so that our walk with fully agree with our talk.

Will you please pray with me?

Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

Please help us to live in a way that verifies our testimony to Your love and grace in our lives. We ask You to do this that we may, in turn, continually bring honor and glory to Your precious and holy name.

Thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the matchless name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

_{Copyright © 2012 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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