Paul
tells us is to use wisdom in being a witness. He specifically addresses two
areas - how we treat people and how we communicate with them. “Be wise in the
way you act toward outsiders.” I don’t want to sound rude or judgmental here,
but I can only think of one effective way to say this; don’t you just want to
crawl under a rock at times when people claiming to be Christians act like
total idiots in public—especially those who gain media attention? Sometimes I just want to yell for everyone to
hear “WE’RE NOT LIKE THAT!” I heard
Jessie DuPlantis (a T.V. preacher) say once that “the way some people drive, he
wished they would take the “fish” symbol off their car!” Sometimes people have a lot of zeal, but
little or no wisdom.
In being wise, Paul tells us to make the
most of every opportunity. When I think of opportunities, I think of open doors
Paul mentioned in verse three. Most of us are wise (or should I say smart?)
enough to recognize when a door is open, but Paul says, when a door is open, take
the opportunity to be a witness.
However, there are two sides to that coin. The reverse would also be
true: if the door is closed - keep your mouth shut - and pray and wait for it
to open. Don’t force the issue. There are some Christians who approach every
door with a battering ram—even the ones that are open! While they may get in,
it’s also true that they could do a lot of damage and may even ensure that the
door is never opened again. Paul says to use wisdom. If you have prayed for an open
door, God will make sure you can tell it’s open…”wait upon the Lord”!
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