There are three verses nestled in Ephesians chapter 5 that I have come to love.

‘See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.’ Ephesians 5:15-17

There is something about this passage that speaks to me.  It’s an invitation to a kind of living in this chaotic world that I know I need.  It is a life I know I was made for.

The word circumspectly in the Greek has the meaning of walking with precision and exactness.  Other versions of the Bible translate this verse as ‘be careful how you live’ or ‘be careful how you walk.’

I call it ‘living carefully’.

Now I know in 2018 we are constantly being offered different ways of living our lives.  The media sells us the idea that accomplishment and acquisition will bring us fulfilment. The latest lifestyle bestsellers insist mindfulness and simplicity are the only way to real contentment.  We are told we need to slow down and be in the moment while we are simultaneously encouraged to multitask and improve our time management.  Do more, do less.  Buy more, buy less.  And so often contentment seems just out of reach.

Ephesians 5 shows us another way.  It is a careful way, a wise way.

Instead of chasing productivity we can discover purpose.

Instead of just efficiency, we can have fruitfulness.

Instead of mindfulness, God offers us the mind of Christ.

And instead of living for photo opportunities, God invites each of us into a life full of supernatural, world-changing opportunities.

If that invitation appeals to you, join me as I dig into these verses over the next few weeks and find out what it means to really live carefully,  how to do it and why we should want to.