Each one of us is busy with obligations and responsibilities that have been placed upon us and that we have taken upon ourselves. Our lives can be hectic and we sometimes wonder how we will ever have time to do what we need to do. This is just as much of a challenge for Christians as it is for anyone else.
Paul provided some instructions about time management that would be good for us to heed:
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).
These instructions from Paul contain wisdom from God. We are to take care as to how we conduct our lives. We do this by making the most of our time. We are told to do this because “the days are evil.” We live in evil times. There is no encouragement from the outside world for us to live as we ought to live. If we are not careful how we walk, we will go astray (cf. Hebrews 3:12-13). So we are told to exercise wisdom and make the most of our time. How do we do this?
In the next few verses, Paul listed several things on which we are to focus. We should make these our priorities so we can make the most of our time.
Understand the Will of God
The first one Paul mentioned is this: “So then to not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). We were just told to be careful how we walk and to walk as wise men. Again, this is about our manner of life. Elsewhere we are told to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7; cf. Romans 1:17). How is this accomplished? Since “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17), we walk by faith (and, therefore, walk wisely) when we conduct our lives according to what the word of God teaches.
So if we are to walk by faith – according to God’s teachings – we must first know what His word teaches. This requires us to study (2 Timothy 2:15), so we must make time for it. There is a good reason why this was the first item mentioned. If we do not understand God’s will, it will not matter how much we try to do anything else. We will be off the mark because we will not be following His standard. Yes, we are all busy; but we must not let the things of this life choke out the word (Luke 8:14). Notice that Paul commands us to understand God’s will. That means we are capable of understanding it (Ephesians 3:4). So we had better get to work studying and meditating on it so we can understand it.
Do Not Get Drunk with Wine
Paul went on to say, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). There are several condemnations of drunkenness in the New Testament. It is classified as a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:21). It will prohibit one from inheriting the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Peter condemned not only drunkenness, but all forms of the casual use of alcohol – including “drinking parties” (1 Peter 4:3). We often call this “social drinking.” This is also condemned as it is connected with fulfilling the lusts of men (1 Peter 4:2).
It is important that we remember the specific prohibition here (against drunkenness); but let us also be reminded of the general principle in this instruction – we are to give up sin. In discussing the new life we have in Christ, Paul said, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts” (Romans 6:11-12). Peter said we are to “live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2). We are to fulfill the will of God, not live as we desire. Engaging in sinful activities not only violates God’s law, but it takes time away from actually doing the things God wants us to do.
Be Filled with the Spirit
This is contrasted with our last point: “And do not get drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Just as understanding the will of God was commanded, we are also commanded to be filled with the Spirit. Therefore, we control the extent to which we are filled with the Spirit. It is not miraculously done by God.
So what does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? Again, notice that being filled with the Spirit is contrasted with being drunk with wine. The more one consumes alcohol, the more his thinking and behavior are influenced by the alcohol. In the same way, we are “filled with the Spirit” as we allow the Spirit to guide and influence our thinking and behavior.
How do we allow the Spirit to influence us? Again, this is not some miraculous infusion of the Holy Spirit into our hearts that manipulates our actions and nullifies our free will. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit; so it is up to us to have the Spirit in us to influence us. The Scriptures teach that the Spirit guides us through the word that He revealed (1 Corinthians 2:10). The word is the instrument the Spirit uses today to guide and direct us (Ephesians 6:17). So if we are going to be filled with the Spirit and be led by Him, we must study and understand the word He revealed – as we discussed earlier – and we must also believe it and practice it.
Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Paul continued: “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). We do two things when we sing these psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs – we worship God and we encourage our brethren.
We know worship is involved in these songs because Paul said we do this “to the Lord.” As we worship Him, we must be sure we do it “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). Our worship is about pleasing God. We please Him by worshiping according to how He has told us to worship – with the proper actions and attitudes. So in making the most of our time, we must take time to worship God. But we must also be sure that the time we do take to worship is time well spent by doing it in spirit and in truth.
We also sing these songs to teach and encourage our brethren. In a parallel passage, Paul said it this way: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). When we sing these types of songs – inside or outside of the assembly (the passage does not limit this to the assembly) – we do so to teach and encourage our brethren. These songs are not for entertainment, being emotionally uplifted, or anything else. They are to encourage and teach one another and to worship God.
Give Thanks to God
Paul then said, “Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20). All of our blessings come from God (James 1:17) and we must not forget this fact. So we are to express our thanksgiving in prayer (Philippians 4:6). Paul admonished the brethren in Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
We also demonstrate our thankfulness to God through the way that we live our lives. The Hebrew writer said, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). When we recognize all that God has done for us, in our gratitude, we are to render obedience to Him.
Be Subject to One Another
The final point in our passage is that we are to be “subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). We do this by doing our part in fulfilling the different roles we have in our relationships with others. Paul went on to discuss the responsibilities of husbands and wives, children and parents, and slaves and masters (Ephesians 5:22-6:9). The common theme in each role is one of subjection to one another. We are to do the things that we do for the benefit of others, not for ourselves. This takes humility. Elsewhere we are told to “regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
Conclusion
If we are to make the most of our time, we must be sure that our priorities are in order. The instructions Paul gave to the Ephesians shows us what should take precedence in our lives. We must study the word of God and learn it. We are to practice the things that God has instructed us and abstain from sin. We need to worship God and give thanks to Him for all we have. And we should encourage our brethren and submit to one another. If we can do these things, we will be making the most of our time and, therefore, walking wisely and pleasing the Lord.
