Transformed – teen devotion – May 23, 2021
The May series is for the times we may hit rock bottom as we experience seasons of fear and weariness, despair and depression, pain and loss … all of them due to sin. Yet God never leaves or abandons us. He pursues and seeks us in our dark moments.
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Rock bottom… What now? Make the most of the moments
Can people tell you are a Christian? Think about that for a moment. If they didn’t know already, would the people you come in contact with in life be able to tell you confess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, trusting in him for salvation and for guiding you throughout this life on earth? It’s a humbling question to ask, isn’t it? It’s also one that sometimes leads us to an answer of “Yikes, I’m not sure.”
The apostle Paul writes not only to the church in Ephesus, but also to each of us, as he gives much needed encouragement to our lives as God’s children, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (vv. 15-16). We’re not always careful how we live, are we? Jesus is very easy to take for granted. Being “wise” is something that doesn’t come naturally for adults, let alone teenagers living in an increasingly cruel and sin-filled world. “Making the most of every opportunity” is often replaced with letting most opportunities to praise our God’s name slip through the cracks or go unutilized.
Bad stuff happens, dear young friends. It’s a fact of life in this sinful world. As God’s dearly loved children, though, we have different tools to use when dealing with these bad things. The God who loved us enough to send his Son to die for us is not then going to abandon us in life to deal with things ourselves. He is with us. His means of grace strengthen us. He not only motivates, but equips us to “(make) the most of every opportunity” when things are going well, or when we seem to hit rock bottom. Each day is a day to praise our holy God and to worship him. Each day is another chance to boldly live our faith in the One who saves us and calls us his own.
Prayer: Lord God, what a blessing you are in my life—in good times and in bad. You have guided me; You have blessed me; You have kept me in your tender care. Watch over my life, O Lord. Keep me always close to you and your Word that I might be strengthened in faith to make the most of every opportunity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
