Don't act foolishly

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

How can we 'be careful' in our living? The most important thing is to not live like the fools do. What exactly makes for 'foolish behavior'? Any behavior that reveals a total lack of sense, especially when we compare that behavior and its outcome with the scripture. Perhaps this is why God reminds us to put some thought into our behavior. We need to consider our actions - ill-considered actions usually result in poorer results. What we use to 'consider' our actions is important, though. We need the wisdom that comes from the scriptures and the guidance of God's Spirit within us - without that we are flying solo!

To understand what God wants us to do, there are some key things we must incorporate in our daily living:

1. Pray about it - don't just launch it out there and ask God to bless it, then walk away. We need to take time to consider the wisdom of the actions we are about to take and the words we are about to speak. As we pray, we need to listen. The conversation is two-way. When we cut God off, we are living like the fool.

2. Explore what the Word of God has to say - learn from the examples given to us. It is not wise to repeat mistakes others have already made! We can see so many lessons from the life stories that have been recorded for us in scripture. We need to take in God's Word, letting it roll around in our brains a while until it actually begins to assure us of the right actions to take. 

3. Use wise counsel - this is why we need close friends who are also listening intently to the voice of God. We probably don't want to take the counsel of others who are not following Christ because their wisdom is not put through the test of God's Word. We need to be cautious about the voices we listen to for our 'advice' in life - the wrong advice can have us spiraling out of control pretty quickly.

Last, but not least, we need to be sure we remain current with God. That means we need to recognize when we haven't made right choices, repent, and get back on the right track as quickly as possible. The fool will overlook the importance of allowing God to convict him. The power of conviction is often what gets us to consider our course, make the necessary corrections, and get going in the right direction once again. Just sayin!