“Sin is basically ingratitude, and in Christianity, religion is grace and ethics is gratitude.”
-Klyne Snodgrass
‘Be careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Ephesians 5, NRSVUE
This is a great passage to meditate on at Thanksgiving and the verses above actually represent one long sentence in the Greek. What are the marks of wise, careful living? Of true spirituality or being filled with the Spirit? Interestingly, they’re not the ones some would emphasize like the gift of tongues or being “slain” in the spirit. Gratefully, they’re more ordinary, practical, and tied closely to the actual fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Here’s some select commentary on a few of the items or phrases along with questions for your reflection:
- “Making the most of the time”– I heard someone share recently that we need to be careful of expectations when it comes to hard work and fatigue. Fatigue goes with the territory of being human. That is, there’s a sense in which everything we might set out to do will make us tired. Indeed, we often talk about needing to take a vacation from our vacations! All this being said, a key question to ask in maximizing our time is, “Am I letting the right things make me tired?”
- “Understand what the will of the Lord is”– Many, young adults especially, spend a lot of time trying to find God’s will as if it were hidden. Most of the time, the concern is vocational, or marriage-related. And if you are or have been among those who’ve been troubled by such questions, be encouraged: Your struggle reflects a heart for God; if you didn’t love God, you wouldn’t care. As we get older, it’s not that we cease to struggle with purpose, vocation, or relationships, it’s just that we learn that God’s will is more about the journey than the destination, and that who we are matters more to God than what we do. Passages like the above help with this broader focus, inviting important questions: Am I a more loving, grateful, and encouraging person than I was last year? Are people reminded of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness when they’re around me? Am I a herald of good news or some kind of quasi-religious fatalism? Is everything around me going to hell in a handbasket or am I a conduit of God’s grace and peace in fullest measure? Certainly, some (including a few of us!) have dispositions that are prone to depressive thoughts, morbid introspection, or negativity. Related to this, in confronting or correcting others, we should be gentle with those who struggle with mental illness.
- “Do not get drunk with wine”– “Wine was the staple drink of the ancient Mediterranean world and was fermented to keep it from turning into vinegar.”[1] We also know that too much wine can ruin ones’ judgment and sense of propriety. The key idea conveyed by this negative command contrasted with the positive one below is influence or control. In other words, rather than being under the influence or control of too much alcohol, we are to…
- “Be filled with the Spirit”– This is not a once and done thing; it’s something that’s active and constant. In the Greek, it’s a present imperative which means you could literally translate it “Be being filled…” This is not a different doctrine or experience than abiding in (John 15) or union with Christ (Romans 6-8). “To be in Christ and to be in the Spirit are virtually the same.”[2] And the point of being filled with the Spirit and not drunk with wine is that “the Spirit is to be the dominating influence for all Christians.”[3]
- “Giving thanks”– “Thanksgiving leavens prayer, so that it does not become merely a selfish pleading to have one’s desires fulfilled.” Does God as a loving Father care about our desires? Absolutely. But cultivating a grateful heart broadens our perspective, grows our capacity to love, and keeps us from navel-gazing. Who has really encouraged or helped you, your family, or ministry this year? Consider sending a handwritten note to the person the Lord brings to your mind.
- “Be subject to one another”– I asked my wife, Pam, while she was preparing for our festivities this week what came to her mind with this command and she quickly said, “Don’t argue.” It was a great answer. Not only did it bring to mind some of the dysfunctional relationships Paul addressed in other places (e.g. Philippians 4:2-4), but I also realized you really do get a feel for a church’s commitment to mutual submission during one of their business meetings, don’t you? Think about some you’ve observed or been part of: Was the overall experience one of unity or power grabs and arguing (Gal. 5:26)? Good questions or painful, self-serving pontification? In thinking about mutual submission afresh this week, I’ve also appreciated these insights from The NIV Application Commentary: “The most difficult part of this text for ancient and modern readers is the expectations that Christians will submit to each other. Some have argued that mutual submission is illogical, which it is, if viewed apart from Christ. However, if we understand the gospel, mutual submission makes perfectly good sense. What Paul has in mind is that Christians reject self-centeredness and work for the good of others. Our society emphasizes equality, but mutual submission is a much stronger idea. With equality, you still have a battle of rights. Equality can exist without love, but it will not create a Christian community. With mutual submission, we give up rights and support each other. Mutual submission is love in action. It brings equal valuing and is the power by which a Christian community establishes itself.”[4] In assessing your own heart, ask: How well do I get along with others? Am I known more for arguing or listening? Do I ask clarifying questions to make sure I understand another’s perspective? How important is it to have my own way? And given that in context the reason for being subject to one another is “out of reverence for Christ,” there’s certainly nothing wrong with the tried and true question “What would Jesus do?” Or not do? Say or not say?
[1] ESV Study Bible.
[2] Klyne Snodgrass, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 309.
[3] Ibid., 309.
[4] Ibid., 311.