The Lord’s Will

Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:17

To understand the will of God is to be wise.  As Paul is writing to the Ephesians regarding what it means to be ‘in Christ,’ he arrives at the statement which forms our text for today.  He says, ‘…be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.’  The opposite of being ‘unwise’ is to be wise.  Paul enjoins the Ephesians to not be unwise, and then contrasts that with, ‘but understand what the will of the Lord is.’  Hence, to understand the will of the Lord is to be wise.  On a personal level what is ‘the will of God’ for us?  In I Thessalonians 4:3, Paul is making practical application to another group of believers and says, ‘For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.’  This applies to the Ephesians as much as it does to the Thessalonians.  It applies to us as well.  The end goal of sanctification is to be like Christ.  This is ‘the will of the Lord.’  All the experiences through which God brings us; all of our interactions with Him and with others serve the overarching purpose of bringing us to renewal in the whole person after the image of Christ and enabling us to die more and more unto sin and to live unto righteousness.  If we understand this, then we understand the will of the Lord, and so become wise.  Today, let us look to Christ to reveal His will unto us and thus, to make us wise.

Our Holy and Wise God,
we rejoice that You will is perfect.
We praise You that You reveal Your will unto us,
that we may be wise in Your ways.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning