Be Careful How You Live

Elaine Marie Cooper

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5: 15-20

Being careful how we live in the evil days. So what does this have to do with encouragement for writers, you might ask? I would answer, “Everything.”

There is not a day goes by when the news is not inciting pain in our hearts as we hear of more unrest, murders, and other terrible “deeds of darkness.” It is enough to cause even the strongest Christian to tremble and become consumed with anxiety and depression. Yet these days of evil do not take God by surprise. Instead, He has given us a means by which we can fight the enemy that seeks to consume our minds with fear. It is called speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. It is singing and making music in our hearts and giving thanks to God our Father—not for the evil deeds but for our hope in Jesus Christ.

Is this our natural response to frightening news that toys with our minds 24/7? Of course not. It is a decision that we make.

It takes a conscious choice to turn off the constant news and put on Christian music that will uplift our spirit. I find that, even if I’m working and barely paying attention to the music in the background, the message of the music is making an impact. In the quiet moments, I find the words of the songs playing through my mind and uplifting me, shifting my focus from this world to the heavenly realm.

As writers for the Lord, we need to be aware that we “struggle not against flesh and blood…but against the powers of this dark world.” (Ephesians 6:12) The battleground is our mind. If we are frozen by fear, we become ineffective at spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Don’t let the evil one control the input. Take back control over what you allow into your minds and hearts. “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”

Image of woman listening to music courtesy of Imagery Majestic via freedigitalphotos.net

Image of violinist leaping in he air courtesy of Koratmember via freedigitalimages.net