“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”
I saw two things in this text that can help make our lives count in reference to our Christian lives: “walk in wisdom” and “redeeming the time.” If we want to walk in wisdom and redeem or make best use of our time, I want to suggest three simple lessons that can help us in this endeavor. The first lesson that we need to learn is to trust in the Lord. Frankly, this has been a difficult lesson for me, but as I’ve gotten older and have been through several things that I knew that I could not handle myself, I think that am learning the lesson. There is nothing in our lives that we escape the need to trust in the Lord. What I mean by trusting in the Lord, is that you lean on Him, and depend on Him in every decision that you make in your life. I always go back to Deuteronomy 26:27a to give me guidance: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Make a commitment to trust in the Lord, and depend on His guidance in your life. The second lesson is “to do unto others and you would have them do unto you.” As you know, this is the “Golden Rule.” Jesus told us to” love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” (Matthew 19:19) This is what is meant in the text by walking “in wisdom toward them that are without.” This reminds me that the Lord loves other people as much He loves me. It also reminds me that if I want to live obediently and make the best use of the time that God has given me, I should love other people and treat them with respect. We need to do a better job of in our church fellowship and in our daily dealings in the world. The third lesson that we need to learn is to dedicate our lives to use the gifts that God has given us to serve Him. We can become so selfish that we will only do what benefits us. I want to share my own pilgrimage in learning this lesson. When I finally realized that my greatest spiritual gift is encouragement, it gave me greater guidance in what I preach and write. This identifies me with the biblical character “Barnabas.” That was his nick name and means “son of encouragement.” Of course, the Spirit has given me other gifts as well, but encouragement is my life’s calling. I try to remember that when I preach and when I write. Find out what your spiritual gifts are, and use them to serve the Lord through your church and through your daily life. These are three critical lessons that we need to learn and practice. – period. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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