A couple days into the new year, I noticed about 30 geese in perfect formation. Beautiful. Flying in a V-pattern helps them cut through the cold wind better. The geese in the back have less wind resistance. The geese in front work harder, but they take turns being in the lead. They can fly farther distances if they fly together. I’ve often thought this is a testament to the creativity of God. Even the goose is fearfully and wonderfully made. A well-designed creation. Maybe the writer of Psalm 19 should have written another verse: “The geese declare the glory of God.”
But something looked wrong. I had to think about it for a second, but then it came to me: That gaggle was flying north! Now, I’m no gooseologist, but I think geese fly south in the winter. Why were they flying north? I’m sure there’s a good explanation. Maybe they left a buddy behind at the last pond and they were going back for him. Maybe the warm temperatures are throwing them off and they think its time to head north already. Maybe someone tried to shoot them and they fled in the wrong direction.
I’m like that. We’re like that, aren’t we? Sometimes we’re just headed in the wrong direction. I’m not talking about traffic problems. I’m talking about life. Our spiritual walk with the Lord. Sometimes we get turned around. Sometimes we get lazy. We get caught up in our circumstances. Sucked into the sensual offerings of the world one M&M at a time. Before we know it we’re flying north for the winter. We’re spending less and less time in prayer. Less and less time with an open Bible in front of us. Less time thinking about God and what He thinks of us. Less time with our church family. More and more time in front of the TV. More and more time thinking about ourselves. More time looking in catalogues and store windows. More concerned about what other people think of us. The whole time we keep getting colder and colder.
We have to be careful. It’s so easy to get turned around. Sometimes we don’t even realize its happening. But something else crossed my mind when I saw those geese. They were in trouble! If they didn’t get turned around quick, they were headed to serious danger. That’s true for us, too. If we’re headed in the wrong direction, we’re headed for trouble—serious danger.
Ephesians 5 gives us a great tool. A compass to help us get turned around. Look at verses 15-18:
“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit…”
Notice five words. Five markers that help us move in the right direction:
Walk. Life is a walk. Moving in one direction or another. Heaven is our ultimate destination, so our goal in this life is not destination. It’s direction. God will take us to our destination when He’s ready. We’re supposed to be heading in the direction of spiritual maturity. Perfection. Completion. We’ll never make it in this life, but our goal is to keep heading in the right direction. Spiritually maturing. Perfecting. Completing. The Christian life is about process. It’s walking in the right direction. What direction?
Wise. In contrast to “unwise men,” we are to walk wisely. What does it mean to walk wisely? Simple—God’s commands, imperatives, principles, directives. God is the only source of true wisdom. His Word is rich with guidance on how to walk through life. We must start with knowledge (knowing what God’s Word actually says). Then we must gain understanding (knowing what God’s Word means). Wisdom is the final stage (knowing how God’s Word works). I said walking wisely is simple—not easy. Simple in that we simply trust God to show us how to live. How to enjoy our youth. How to find meaning in our work. How to make sure we don’t have regrets. How to be a man. How to be a woman. How to love! How to live! That’s not easy, but it is important. Why? Look at our next word.
Evil. Why do we need to walk wisely? Because the days are evil. This is why we’ve got to “be careful” how we walk. The world is trying to pull us down. Suck us dry. Turn us in the wrong direction. Can such things happen to real Christians? You bet! That’s who Ephesians was written to—real Christians. There is real evil out there and it will do anything necessary to try to get us to walk in the wrong direction. The problem is, the evil is usually disguised in something that appears harmless. You won’t find a sign that reads, “Turn right for lots of evil fun!” or two free bus tickets to Evilville. We spot those things. No, the evil that drags Christians off the road is usually very subtle at first. That’s why we don’t pick up on it until we’re off the path and wondering where we are. How’d we get so far from where we should be? One step in the wrong direction leads to the wrong direction. No matter how small.
Lord. The answer is to “understand what the will of the Lord is.” The exact opposite of “foolish”! It is foolish to ignore what God wants. What God wants is what is best for us. So when we’re faced with a choice, and we understand what the will of the Lord is, we choose the Lord’s choice. It’s really pretty simple. But, what do we do when we don’t know what the will of the Lord is?
Spirit. In our own limited, human minds, we will not know what the will of the Lord is. Even if we study the Bible from sunup to sundown. The Spirit leads us into all truth according to Jesus in John 16:13. In Paul’s prayer for the Colossians, he prayed “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). The contrast between us without the Spirit’s leading—our natural, human selves—and us with the Spirit’s leading is great. Paul said, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things…” (1 Corinthians 2:14,15). The point is, if we’re “walking wisely.” If we’re walking with the Spirit, we’re “making the most of our time.” If we’re not walking with the Spirit, we’re in trouble. We’re flying north in the winter. God’s wisdom will look like foolishness to us!
The great thing about Ephesians 5 is that we’re given some clear landmarks. There are signs you can look for to see if you’re headed in the right direction. Right after the command to “be filled with the Spirit,” in verse 18, Paul tells us (in the rest of the book) what you’ll look like if you are. You’ll be “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” That’s joy! Do you have joy? He tells us you’ll be “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Gratitude! Are you thankful for “all things”? He tells us we’ll be submissive. Wives will submit to husbands “as to the Lord”. Husbands will love their wives sacrificially. Children will obey and honor their parents. Parents will be gentle and spiritually involved with their children. We will serve our masters with good will and masters will show no partiality. That’s the perspective only the Spirit can give. Does that describe you? If so, you’re headed in the right direction. If it doesn’t, you’re in danger—like those geese. The good news is you can turn it around.
Start with prayer. If we’re praying and asking God to fill us with His Spirit we’re walking wisely. If we’re studying our Scriptures while we pray, “God speak to me!” we’re storing up wisdom for the journey and we’ll know what God’s will is—His directions for us. If we’re turning our backs on our sin so we don’t grieve the Spirit, we’re not getting sidetracked. If we’re following the Spirit’s lead—yielding to Him by obeying Him and responding to His leadership—we’re headed in the right direction. We’re walking wisely. South in the winter. North in the summer.
Two January days later—in almost the exact same spot—I saw another gaggle of geese. They were flying in a V-pattern and I once again stopped to enjoy the sight. I smiled. They were flying south.
