My wife, Martie, is a great shopper. When she shops for groceries, she reads all the nutrition labels and considers the best deal by looking at the price per unit. But her best trick is looking for the use by date. She doesnt just grab the first gallon of milk she sees, but rather she goes for the gallon with the latest use by date so she can bring home the freshest milk from the store.
In a sense, our lives are marked by use by datesexcept that none of us knows the exact date when our heart will expire or well take our last breath on this planet. Given that reality, shouldnt we try a little harder to capture the moments weve been given? Capturing the moment means that well do things like love more deeply, forgive more quickly, listen more carefully, and speak more affirmingly.
Paul gives this good advice: See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph. 5:15-16). He also instructs us to walk as children of light . . . finding out what is acceptable to the Lord (vv.8-10).
Since none of us knows our use by date, we should capture the opportunities to brighten our world with the love of Christ today!
Read: Ephesians 5:8-21
Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul. ((HUGS))