Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Ephesians 5:15-20 (NIV)
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I have to admit, I always hear the negative first. When I read today’s text, all of the admonitions seem to be typed in all caps! Yet, as I re-read the text, I can see that most of God’s instruction for each of us is not a long list of what not to do. Instead, God spends time with us today encouraging us to be mindful of how to live: “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Eph 5:18b-20) Let this be our mission today. Let us speak graciously with one another, let us focus on God in our song and our study, and let us give thanks!