The verse for today is found in Ephesians 5. I have been thinking about this for a while now and just want to share a couple of things with you.

Ephesians 5:15 says “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.”

Why are we to live as wise? Paul tells us in verse 16, “because the days are evil.”

There was a lot of evil during the time of Esther… just like there is today. This week Esther will be called to the court of a King whose lifestyle is extravagant and excessive. This will become quite clear when we study how he went about finding a new queen. Esther will have to tread carefully and live wisely in order to save her people.

When it comes to evil our culture is not much different.  You can’t turn on the TV without seeing some of the horrible things happening in the world. Some of it is saddening, and some of it is terrifying. I am also positive that there is evil in our own hometowns, whether you live in a small town or large city. Evil is everywhere.

Paul is reminding us that because there is sin and evil in the world, we must live carefully.

So how do we then engage our culture that has so much evil in it? Here are a few points that will help us think about our culture.

1. Reject what is evil

There are a lot of terrible things in our world. Evils like human trafficking, porn and racism are just a few of the obvious ones. But there are also some that are not so obvious. Materialism, discontentment, selfishness, laziness and entitlement are also evils that need to be rejected and fought against.

2. Embrace what is good

There is a lot of beauty and truth in the world. All humans are created in the image of God, which gives each human value and meaning. Creativity is one of the characteristics we have because we are created in God’s image. Therefore we can enjoy and appreciate some amazing art and music. We can also embrace humanitarian causes, disaster relief, random acts of kindness, and many of the festival and fairs our communities put on.

3. Redeem what is broken

But there are some things in our culture that are broken and need to be redeemed. Things like the educational system, government, families and marriages, peoples lives, and neighborhoods just to name a few.

The world is a dangerous place, but we have been sent here. While we are not to view this world as our home, we are to be in it but not of it… and this takes wisdom. The same wisdom that Esther needed to save the Jews.

Looking to Him,

Jen

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Jen Thorn

Jen Thorn grew up in Germany and then spent her teenage years in Africa, where her parents were missionaries. She moved to the United States for college and attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago where she met her husband. They have been married for twenty-two years and have four children. Jen lives in the suburbs of Chicago, where her husband is the pastor of Redeemer Fellowship. Jen is passionate about theology and the connection to daily living.