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

Ephesians 5:15 – 20

We have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, made new in the Spirit, now we hear, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.”  I am not sure what Paul means by the words, “making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  He certainly is warning against being allured by the world’s attractions, those pulls and tugs that lead to compromise.

When cultures turn to alcoholic beverages to help people avoid the problems and challenges of life, that is a road that leads to despair.  Paul wrote, Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  I seldom see or hear this word, debauchery.  It implies giving oneself to selfish desires, a path to evil.

Paul assumes that we all give our lives to something or somebody.  He wrote, instead of being filled with selfishness, be filled with the Spirit.  Being filled with any other passion will lead to disaster.  He then describes life in 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. 

At first this sounds unreal.  Paul wrote, when temptation comes to elevate the self and pamper it, the last thing that comes to mind is to shift gears and sing, recite psalms, make music from your heart to the Lord, but that is exactly the way of the followers of Jesus Christ.  The singing, praising God from the heart, offering up constant thanksgiving is the way.

It seems to me that life brings wave after wave of temptations to trust in self as we once did.  Not only should we set our eyes once again on Jesus, but sing our hearts out for joy, giving our emotions, body and soul to Jesus over and over again.