Ephesians 5:8-14
Walk as children of light … and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (vv. 8b-10) I’m not quite sure what I want to say about these verses, but they struck me. In one sense, it seems obvious what is pleasing to the Lord – prayer, first and foremost; Bible study and contemplation; fellowship with other believers; sharing our faith, helping those in need, etc. Beyond prayer, I don’t have a ranking for the others as to what’s next most important. Sometimes I think that reaching out to the needy ranks second; other times I recall our four-legged Christian witness: prayer, Bible study, fellowship, evangelism. Those four activities are all decidedly “spiritual” in nature. So what about “service”? How “spiritual” is “service”? Jesus placed a high emphasis on serving others; witness His healing miracles; feeding the 5,000; forgiving sins; accepting the outcasts and the marginalized. So what to do? Service? How to discern what is pleasing to the Lord?
Slava Bohu!
I think of Micah 6:8. What is true religion? Walk humbly with God (prayer), love justice (truth?), and care for widows and orphans (service).