Walking in His Will

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

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Webster's 1828 dictionary defines circumspectly as "Cautiously; with watchfulness every way; with attention to guard against surprise or danger." What are we to be watchful of? What are we to pay attention to in order to guard against surprise or danger, and why? What is all this about redeeming the time? Redeeming from what or whom?

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Beginning in verse one of Ephesians chapter five, the Apostle Paul takes great care to lay out step by step the answers to these questions.

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Walk in Love - verses 1-7:

Above all, we are to imitate Christ, walking in love as He did. We are to keep our conversation pure, our hearts free from jealousy and uncleanness, and our ears from listening to those who try and tell us we can do all that other stuff just mentioned and not suffer for it. This is an especially difficult area for women. It is not uncommon for us to struggle with our tongues in gossip and criticalness while also dealing with being jealous of a friend's house, wardrobe, marriage, etc. And how easy it is to be "encouraged" by a friend who assures us that all those feelings are normal and we need to cut ourselves some slack!

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Walk in Light - verses 8-14:

It is vital to remember that we are no longer children of darkness! After we come to faith, we are not only in the light we are light of Christ. We are to walk so closely with Jesus that His light shines through us and onto the darkness, revealing what is hidden and changing our hearts and activities if needed. We are not to take part in dark things, but rather expose them for what they are - the direct opposite of the goodness and righteousness of Christ. Do not sleep walk through life, ignoring that which slinks in and seems "not so bad." Wake up and let Christ's light shine on all that you participate in. When He reveals darkness, run away from it!

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Walk in Wisdom - verses 15-21:

Finally, we are to walk carefully and wisely, redeeming the time. We are to spend our time being thankful to the Lord in all things as well as encouraging one another to do all that is shared in this chapter. Walking in love and in light will help us to understand the will of the Lord (wisdom). And what is the will of the Lord? Walking in love, light, and wisdom! What a connection! If you walk in one, you walk in the other.

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How our hearts respond in situations - from diapers to bills -will last for all time. Do not let the enemy have it. Guard your time on earth and use every bit of it for the purposes of God - not just the physical time spent doing things, but the spiritual, emotional, and mental time poured into daily life as well.

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The beautiful key to walking in the Spirit is contained in this chapter. If we walk through it daily, step by step, we will be walking in the will of the Father because we are walking in the steps of the Son. Our time will be redeemed. I can think of no better way to spend my days and make every minute count for eternity!

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Prayer:

Father, You called me to righteousness and told me to redeem the time. Thank you for giving me a plan to accomplish this mission. Please help me when it seems too difficult. Remind me of Jesus' beautiful, sweet smelling offering of Himself. Thank You, Jesus, for being the ultimate example. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for always being there to help me walk in love, light, and wisdom. Amen.

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Challenge:

Read Ephesians 5:1-20 each day this week. Purpose to walk in love, light, and wisdom. When you are unsure how to do that, run straight back to the master plan and read it again! Pray for God's wisdom and guidance as you do this, as well as His protection. Be mindful that the enemy will do anything to discourage you in this area and make you feel like a failure. If you mess up, and you will, get up and start over again!

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Jen Gorton 2009

For more on redeeming the time, see http://www.lifechangingseminars.com/.