A Thought for Tuesday 7/2/13

“See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  Ephesians 5:15-17

Especially early in the relationship with our Lord, we will still be inclined to think and act as we always did.  We will still have “evil habits” (Josephus) we have to be on guard against in order to better reflect our calling in discipleship, in following Messiah.  So St. Paul warns the Ephesians that the “evil days” still pose a threat to our spiritual well-being especially when we think and act primarily according to our impulses, our old habits.  Learning more about the Lord of the Church takes time – just think about how big the Bible really is! – a lot of thought, and a lot of prayer.

Too many Christians have been falsely led to believe there is some magical transformation by which sin virtually bounces off and old habits simply fade away without any personal effort.  There are even those who have become convinced either by careless preachers or their own minds that suddenly everything we choose to do is divine will and therefore blessed.  Gossip, idolatry, love of money, greed, spite, hatefulness, etc., are still practices of many who call themselves Christians not because they have evil intent (yet sometimes they do intend to do harm to others they don’t like) but because they fail to “walk circumspectly”, thoughtfully, prayerfully, and in consideration of what is truly divine will according to what is written in the Scriptures.

Like any relationship, it is dangerous to take any component of that relationship for granted and assume everything will always be ok even if no time or effort is put into the relationship.  There are too many among us who can attest to the reality that any relationship will disintegrate if we ignore our part.  Though our Lord is always faithful to His Word, fidelity to the Word is still required of us if there is a “relationship” at all.  This requires work and attention to the reality that the “days are evil” and that we can fall prey to that evil easily if we do not “walk circumspectly”.

Cling to the Word.  Cling to the Church, the “ecclesia”, the assembly of the faithful.  Hold fast to all that is good, and take nothing for granted.

Blessings,

Michael