Issue 10 - Day 6

Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:17-19
17)  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18)  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19)  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

An often misquoted passage here, but packed with truth. Do you understand what is God’s will? In short his will is that we should walk in the light, in his ways. Do you sing to yourself? If you can’t sing you are given a get-out clause here. SPEAK the songs, and sing in your heart. But of course this is speaking of how we live our lives, not what we do on a Sunday morning.

The first comparison here is between being unwise, and understanding God’s will. Certainly it is unwise to ignore God’s will, but it really is the opposite. If you are unwise then you only seek personal gratification, often at the expense of others, and usually with disastrous results to yourself. The opposite is not being sensible, but understanding God’s will. This will change your motivation to following his will not your own. Unlike our ideas that have been thought through for five minutes on a good day, God’s ideas have been planned for eternity and have certain success.

The second comparison is between physical drunkenness and excess, compared to being filled with the Spirit. These again are opposites. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, being focused on spiritual things, you will not be filled with physical gratification such as getting drunk. One replaces the other. Equally, when filled with the Spirit excessive behavior will cease, as you will be controlled by a desire to do God’s will, not your own. Look always to God, and his will, and he will take care of the physical.