EXAMINE YOUR LIFE: “Be careful how you walk...” (v.15)

How you walk is how you live the conduct and direction of your life. God calls us to live a life of purpose and meaning in Christ. “Be careful how you walk” can be translated “to walk accurately”. Pay attention to the steps that you take in life. We can be derailed in our direction if we are not careful. Be sensitive to whether you are paying attention or not to things that are important. Two practical ideas to manage your time well: 1-Have a “THINK TIME” to keep your thoughts sharp. This may include time to read and journal. Start with one hour each day. “An unexamined life is not worth living” (Socrates). Allow the Lord to guide your thoughts. 2-Keep a “BUFFER TIME”. Don’t put engagements back-to-back, put enough time in-between for deep, unhurried conversations, for “think times”.

REDEEM YOUR TIME: “Making the most of every opportunity” (v.16)

This tells us that every opportunity from God is precious. Be sensitive to the opportunities that God gives you. Make the most of these opportunities because they can be lost in the days of evil! By the wisdom of God, capture these opportunities in how we use our time in every season: The “Discovery” years from childhood to youth, to young adulthood (birth to 30 years old). Learn as much as you can, because it will help you for the rest of your life. Read, grow, have deep conversations. The “Defining” years from young adulthood to middle age (30 to 60 years old) are vital contribution years. This is where you can take your learning and grow with experience. Most leaders in our world today are in this season; young enough to have the energy, old enough to have the experience. Pray for vital contribution, the stewardship of your gifts. In the “Deepening” years (60 years old and above) your life has been deepened by God. You have a lot to contribute, pray for a worthwhile legacy. Do not take your time for granted. The past is gone; the future has not yet arrived. You only have the present.

DETERMINE YOUR PURPOSE: “Understand what the will of the Lord is” (v.17)

The Greek word for “understand” is to “see the big picture and to put the pieces together”. If we are wise, we will lean onto God’s will for our lives. The foundation of our faith should be the Word of God. He is the only one who knows and holds the future and commands our destiny. The Lord’s will is totally sovereign, gloriously redemptive, sometimes puzzling, but always perfect. The purpose of our lives is to do the will of the Father. The human soul cannot operate in two systems; we either throw out the Word of God, or repent from our worldly attitude and re-engage in the biblical worldview. To live intentionally is not to be easily derailed or distracted by worldly pursuits, but to live an uncompromised life rooted in God’s word.

EMBRACE YOUR PRIORITY: “Be filled with the Spirit” (v.18)

The answer to living a life that is centered on God is to be filled with His spirit!  This is a command in the “present imperative”–we must keep on being filled by the Holy Spirit. As discipleship and spiritual warfare are daily, the filling of the Holy Spirit and the blessing of God should also be a daily thing as we surrender and submit to Him. Be filled by the Spirit day by day! This does not mean that we have more of the Spirit, or that we’re empty or half-filled by the Spirit. It’s not about how much we have of the Holy Spirit, but how much the Holy Spirit has of us! The key to the empowered Christian life is to be filled by the Holy Spirit. We cannot live the intentional life without it!

We are living in the final days of world history, and we have the Gospel in our hands that can change human destinies. We must run with the Gospel for the glory of God by living an intentional life.