Monday, April 19: Walk circumspectly!

When Paul wrote his books that would become a large portion of the New Testament, the days were evil. Yet looking around in our society, the days have become more evil. An old adage tells us that history repeats itself, though with the addition of technology, many sins that used to be done in shame and secret have become easier. It used to be when a man purchased a pornographic magazine, he ducked into a shop, purchased the magazine in shame and exited before friends or family would catch him. Now, in the privacy of their own homes, men anonymously look at the same pornographic images plastered all over the internet. As Christians, we continue to battle our sin natures, yet God reminds us in His Word how we are supposed to live our lives:


15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 
Ephesians 5: 15-18


What does it mean to walk circumspectly? Paul tells us in the phrase immediately following. It means to walk wisely, rather than as a fool. There is an entire book in the Bible teaching us wisdom, called Proverbs. That is a great place to start if we need to know how to walk with wisdom. Here are some gems from Proverbs: Whoever spreads slander is a fool (Proverbs 10:18). To do evil is like sport to a fool (Proverbs 10:23). The way of a fool is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15). The companion of fools will be destroyed (Proverbs 13:20). Fools mock at sin (Proverbs 14:9). The father of a fool has no joy (Proverbs 17:21). There are more great verses dealing with fools in Proverbs, but let me sum it all up with one from Psalms: A fool says in his heart that there is no God (Psalm 53:1).


All of us make mistakes. All of us continue to sin. That will continue until the day that the Lord completes His work in us, when He sees us face to face. The good news for us is that if the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you, then there will be a battle. If you are not convinced that your sin is wrong before you commit the sin, during the sin or after the sin, there is no battle. You have given yourself over to sin. That would be a great sign that the Holy Spirit is not living inside of you. In that case, consequently, you are not a Christian.


Though we are going to make bad decisions, the Bible gives us instructions for how to live our lives in a godly manner. Just as Joseph ran when tempted by Potiphar’s wife, we are to run away from sin. Instead, how often do we run toward sin? Each day, we need to be more aware of the choices we make. In addition, we need to have that awareness heightened of what choices exist all around us. Let the Lord increase in your life today! Be filled with the Spirit and walk wisely.