Understanding

So don't be foolish but understand what the Lord's will is. Ephesians 5:17

What is being foolish? The next verse helps. 'And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the spirit....'

Have you ever been at a function and not drunk wine and seen how silly people can behave? they become very loud, they say stuff they would not normally say and behave in a much looser way than they would normally do when they drink, let alone become drunk.

I used to flat with another woman and to get me to talk to her she would say 'lets go down to the Indian restaurant and have dinner', usually on a Thursday night. We would have one glass of wine and that was enough to loosen my tongue.

The reason I did not talk too freely with this woman was I found the way she behaved scary and thought that if I spoke she would attack me. I look back now and realise I was resolving more than the present with this flatting arrangement, my past was being unwound as well.

My father would drink and say stuff that he normally would not say, in a nasty way. We did not look forward to having dinner with him because this was the worst time of day. For years this went on until we were able to get to the root of his problem, offense.

I did not have a problem with offense rather defense.

However, what of the text?  We act foolishly when we don't understand the will of the Lord, there are two points of view; His way and the way of the flesh. The flesh says, 'me, me, my, me, my, me.'    'I, I , I , I'. The way of the Spirit is 'He, He, His, He, His.'  

When I live for 'Me' I die inside, when I live for 'He' I come alive. He makes all things new. As I live for Him I shine, when I live for me I become cloudy and dull.

Don't be deceived, there are only two ways and only two results. Life or death! Choose life that you might live. Amen!