It was approximately four decades ago that Don Schlitz wrote 鈥淭he Gambler鈥檚 Song鈥�; over the next ten years Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare and Johnny Cash recorded those familiar words (well, familiar to those of us who have been around for a while). The lyrics, couched in a catchy Western melody, also contain some old-fashioned wisdom. 鈥淵ou got to know when to hold 鈥榚m, know when to fold 鈥榚m,鈥� know when to walk away, know when to run鈥︹��. Gambler or not, it makes a lot of sense.
Walking wisely isn鈥檛 always as easy, or attractive, as it may appear on the surface: Values clash, priorities get muddled, honesty is too often compromised in favour of politics or popularity and integrity is seduced by promises of material gain. As composer Schlitz wrote, you鈥檝e got to know when to walk away, know when to run.
In this third admonition in his trinity of marching orders, the Apostle Paul admonishes his readers: 鈥淪ee then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise鈥︹�� (Ephesians 5:15). In other words, be careful.
The second directive, walk as children of light, invites us to walk in the blessings of His love: Choose right things but always cling to the promise that through Christ God sees us as righteous.
That first instructive spoke of walking in love. Where self gratification shouts 鈥渙pportunity鈥�, there鈥檚 no safer place to run than to the protection and shelter of the love of God. In so doing we are enabled to extend grace to others.
Too often religion has approached the matter of 鈥渟in鈥� as nothing less that God waiting for us to fail so that He is justified in inflicting punishment. There鈥檚 nothing farther from the truth.
He鈥檚 love in the midst of conflict, light in place of darkness and a guide through life鈥檚 deepest valleys.
