"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
Colossians 5:4 (NIV)
Wisdom is knowledge applied. It is the application of knowledge to specific situations in time and place. In our life as a child of God, it is where the rubber meets the road. Our Lord told us that living wisely is applying His Word in our lives (Matt 7:24). This application of our Lord's teaching, covers every area of our lives, from personal private time, to family time, to church time, to work time, and to the time that we spend with people who are not part of the kingdom of light.
We know that we have a glorious inheritance, that we have the Spirit of Christ within us, the hope of glory. We know that these outsiders are in darkness without hope. How then should we apply this knowledge in our dealings with them? What does being wise look like? First of all it means that we should realize that opportunities are few. If we have a God-given opportunity to share the gospel, DO IT - for they need the Lord!
Second, to that first priority is "Bless them - do not curse them" (Rom. 12:14). These people are already cursed, their destination is hell. Why should we curse them here in this life? Our Lord did not act that way; He was friendly with sinners. He liked them; He ate and drank with them, many of them never enter the kingdom of God. May our light shine in the darkness!
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