Read Ephesians 5:15-17 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
- What are we told to not do in these verses?
- What are we told to do?
- What should we make the most of?
Reflect
The Ephesian church invested loads of effort into serving themselves and hoarding the control they didn’t want to lose. They lived in self-preservation and fear rather than in sacrifice and love. Paul reminded them that the days were evil, meaning temptation would come, time was short, and they needed to make the most of it.
Those principles still apply today. We live in a fallen world, which means fallen things can happen at any moment. We’re all one decision away from living like fools. We might be able to make more money, but we can’t make more time. We need to recognize the opportunities in front of us before they pass us by!
Maybe you’ve found yourself living in self-preservation and fear, pouring loads of effort into hoarding control. Or maybe you’re asleep at the wheel, not realizing that the days are evil and that the more time you waste trying to “save your earthly life,” you will in fact lose it. God is calling you to live for eternity. He’s uniquely positioned you to live in this moment in time, to live this one life you’ve been given to the fullest in every possible way. Tune into His voice, and live like never before.
Respond
- What do you tend to invest the most effort into when it comes to your time, talent, and treasure? How does today’s reading challenge your priorities?
- What would it look like to live your life to the fullest in every possible way, to make the best use of the life God has given you? What might keep you from doing those things, and how could you let God transform you in them?
- What opportunities has God placed in your path recently to sacrifice and love others, or what opportunities do you come across on a regular basis? How could you make the most of them this week?
As you process these questions, use page 53 of your Awaken Guidebook to jot down any key reflections or next steps. Be sure to bring your guidebook to your group! Page 54 is a great place to write down things that you want to process together.