Dear friends, last month while shopping a little boy ran into me because he was walking forward while his head was turned sideways.  His mother said rather sharply, "Watch where you're walking!"  I wonder how many times I said that when my boys were growing up.  Little people want to see everything all at once but don't want to take time to watch where they're going.  Children often charge ahead thinking the world will get out of their way.  Big people can do the same.  Even when we aren't sure where we're going, we just charge ahead, and then we stumble or hit a wall.

          St. Paul knew what it was like to charge ahead in life.  When his name was still Saul, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.  He had a plan for his life.  He was self-confident and walked firmly in his convictions, only they were the wrong ones.  One day on the road to Damascus he walked straight into a wall called Jesus, and the Lord brought him down low and into the Kingdom of God.

          This is the same person who tells us the words of our text today:  "Be very careful, then, how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."  With a passage like that, it would be tempting to preach about all the evil in the world, but that would accomplish little.  There's always been evil in the world.  Today's world is no more or less evil than Paul's.  The point is not how bad the world is, but how we live and walk in an evil world.  And Paul has timeless words of wisdom for us all, no matter how old or young:  "Walk carefully."

          There is a lot of foolishness in the world, and if we're not careful where we walk, we'll step in it.  When Paul says we should make the most of every opportunity, he hints that we can miss great opportunities if we're not watching where we walk.

          I almost did once.  About fifteen years ago, after my first wife died, I was at the bottom of the pit and my personal world had fallen apart.  After attending a District Convention, I got a letter from Good Shepherd Homes requesting I send them my resume for a position that was opening.  As with most pastors, I said, "What's a resume?"  A week later I tossed the letter into the garbage.  But after a few weeks, I realized I had to leave the area to get life back into focus, so I went hunting through the church garbage can and found that letter under the coffee grounds.  No one had emptied the church garbage for 3 weeks -- a gift from God.  I asked someone to help me write a resume, sent it in and was hired.  Working for Good Shepherd for those two years was the beginning of the road back.  It was an opportunity I'm glad I didn't miss.  Paul said in our text to make the most of every opportunity.  But as you do, "Walk carefully."

          A foolish person is one who looks to wrong solutions in life.  Troubles in life don't only come from missed opportunities.  They also come because we don't know our purpose.  People may have their professional lives all planned out, but they're not always good at spiritual planning.  Paul warns us, "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."  But a lot of people are asking, "What is God's will for my life?"  And there's nothing foolish in asking that.

          I strongly believe God's will for us has two parts - a general will and a specific will.  The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:4, "God wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth".  That's His first and foremost purpose for us.  If we miss that one, the rest won't matter.  Jesus said something great in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be yours as well."  When we get first things first, the rest will follow.  That's God's will for our eternal life, and it's the same for everyone.  God wants us to be saved and with Him forever.  That's His general will for all.

          His specific will is what we'll do in our life.  This varies with each of us.  This one's not always simple to figure out.  "Does God want me to work here or there?  Does He want me to move or stay?  Does He want me to stay in this marriage or not?  Am I a good parent when I deal with my kids this way or not?  Why can't I find the right job?  Why is my life so difficult?"  Christians of all ages struggle to understand what God wants from them and what He wants them to do.  This past month I spoke with three different men, each struggling with troubling events.  Each of them was really asking, "What does God want from me?"

          Ever thought about what gets you started in life?  Last fall my Olds wouldn't start.  I tried fixing it, but failed.  A mechanic who knew what he was doing replaced the starter and now it works great.  Everything else was good, but without a starter, the car was useless.  What gets you started?  What gets you going?

          Often we're tempted to do foolish and stupid things to get going.  Paul hints at this when he says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit."  There are several ways to get drunk, and most do not involve alcohol.  Some people are drunk on power or possessions, some on pleasure.  Some get drunk on education or physical fitness, and others just get drunk.  Getting drunk here means being under the influence of something that leads you away from God.  The drunkenness is not really the problem.  It's only a symptom of a deeper problem in the heart, so Paul warns us, "Walk carefully."

          Many years ago my wife and I went on 2-week trip during a very hot July.  As we were about to leave, I went back into the house to unplug the little TV on top of the refrigerator and mistakenly unplugged the refrigerator itself.  Coming home, you can imagine the smelly mess we found.  My wife said, "You unplugged it, so you can clean it."  So I got a bucket of water and some rags and I washed the outside till it was sparkling clean.  I even waxed it the door, but when I opened the door, it was still awful.  So I went out and bought fancy accessories and dressed it up -- a fine cloth to cover it, and stickers saying "high class frig" and "proud of my young frig", but when I opened the door it was worse inside than before.

          So then I threw a party and invited other refrigerators nearby.  I gave out plenty of freon for everyone, but later when I opened the door it was even worse inside.  Then I increased the voltage.  I juiced it up and tried several kinds of different outlets and experimented with different colored lightbulbs.  I put some zing into that old frig that it never felt before.  But when I opened the door the smell was overpowering.  Finally I rented movies for my refrigerator featuring foxy new appliances.  Its favorite movie, of course, was "The Big Chill".  And I bought my refrigerator a "Playfrig" magazine featuring appliances with their doors wide open.  But when I opened the door, the inside was worse than ever.

          There's an important point here.  Only by cleaning the inside can life be changed.  Only when hearts are cleansed by Christ can lives be made right.  And only Jesus can do this - not "faster horses, younger women, older whiskey or more money," as Tom T. Hall used to sing.  It takes God cleansing us from the inside.  Only a fool deals with just the outside.  1 John 1:7 tells us, "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sins."  That's real cleansing!  That's God loving us by cleaning us up.  What Jesus cleanses is really clean.  God loves us just the way we are, but He won't leave us that way for long.  God changes lives for the better!

          "Walk carefully," says Paul.  He knows what he's talking about.  And while you're at it, find someone to walk with.  If the walk is hard, maybe it's time to get together with other walkers.  That's partly why we've started CareGroups.  I know some of you have gotten invitations to a CareGroup and have ignored them.  Next time go.  Take time for fellow travellers--it's worth it.  Making friends among members is good for us all.

          What do CareGroups do?  Maybe what Paul says here:  "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."  There's fellowship and fun, new friends, prayer, maybe even singing.  The next time you're invited to a CareGroup, go!  Make the time to make new friends.

          "Walk carefully."  Walking through life is not difficult if there's someone with you.  Walking requires good shoes, a good path, and light to show the way.  A good companion keeps us company and on the right path, too.

          "Walk carefully!"  May you have God's Word as a "lamp for your feet and a light for your path" (Psalm 119:105).  And the Lord always go with you wherever you go.  In the name of Jesus, our Companion and Friend, amen.

Copyright © 2001 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.