Do’s, Don’t’s – Ephesians 5:15-20 (NIV)

Do’s, Don’t’s – Ephesians 5:15-20 (NIV)

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some do’s and don’t’s out of contrasts. Live wisely. How? Making the most out of every opportunity. Why? Because the days are evil. These are dark times (all are). There may be fewer and fewer opportunities so we need to use them all.

So make the most of every opportunity. Also, understand the Lord’s will. That’s another "live wisely" practice. I think there’s a lot of reasons to do this but in context I think it could mean that in order to make the most of every opportunity, it’s best to know the Lord’s will. The better you know the goal and all aspects of it, the better you can make the most of things.

Don’t hinder your ability to make the most of every opportunity by limiting your ability to analyze, reason, deduce and judge. On the contrary, be filled with the Spirit which will help in all of those areas.

There are some different ways to take the next part. If we take it very literally, then we need to learn how to use our heart muscle to create audible music. If it’s not that literal, then we need to consider how we are to sing and make music.

I get the sense that, from the Spirit (e.g., love, peace, unity) we are to share encouraging words and worshipful thoughts with each other that lead others to praise Him. And we are to thank Him for all things.