Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best
use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for
that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord
with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence
for Christ. —Ephesians 5:15-21
In the next few days, I want to ponder and meditate on this passage pointing
out the rich implications of every phrases here.
Walking (walk) has been used in the Bible as a metaphor for "way of living".
That is how it is used in this passage. Paul, in his admonition to the
believers in Ephesus, points out two ways of living in which people live their
lives, being wise and unwise. He then draws a parallel between being "unwise"
and being "foolish", then being "wise" and "understand(ing) what the will of
the Lord is".
It is worth mentioning that the word "fool" in this passage does not mean
lacking of intellect but a moral state. So, being a "fool" is synonym to being
unrighteous or as the next verse would call "drunk".
Being wise then is a way of living that is "filled with the Spirit" and
understands the "will of the Lord". In our daily battles in this sinful world,
we need wisdom that is from above. We need Christ, the Wisdom of God. Only in
him and through him we can "walk... filled with the Spirit"