Most of our nation is living under some sort of ‘stay-at-home’ order that has resulted in a lot of “extra time” on our hands. Ephesians 5:16 encourages us to “redeem the time” or “to make wise use of every opportunity”. How can we make wise use of this time of confinement?
The apostle Paul spent a lot of time in prison and under house arrest. I would like to suggest 3 activities that we can focus on during these challenging days, based on the choices the Apostle Paul made.
I. We can communicate! Paul used his confinement to write letters. He wrote what are known as the prison epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. I would encourage you to use the many resources we have to communicate with each other during this time. Phone calls, e-mails, texting, face time on the computer, are all easy ways to communicate and encourage each other.
II. We can pray! In each of the 4 prison epistles, Paul wrote and stated that he was praying for the believers to whom he was writing. Let’s use this unexpected ‘extra time’ to pray for our world, our country, our church, our leaders and for each other.
III. We can share the gospel! Philippians 1:12 “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel”. Paul had a captive audience for the gospel while in confinement, the Roman guards, and he shared the gospel with them. Isn’t it interesting that many more people are hearing the gospel right now through online worship services? We should use this time to look for creative ways to share the gospel with others.
Let’s make wise use of these days as we communicate and encourage one another, as we pray for one another and as we look for creative ways to share the gospel with others!