Walk carefully. Live wisely. Make the most of every opportunity.
For many families, the new year doesn’t really begin on January 1. It begins when school starts.
Parents are celebrating. 🎉 Kids… maybe not so much. 😄
Gone are the days of sleeping until noon, staying up until 1:00 a.m., eating midnight snacks, and living without much structure. It’s time for alarm clocks, packed lunches, homework, practices, games, church activities, and full calendars.
If you have school-aged kids, you know exactly what I mean. Our family has always measured the year from August to July. Everything revolves around the school calendar.
As we step into another busy season, one passage keeps coming to mind.
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16, ESV)
I’ll admit, when Paul says, “the days are evil,” every student probably nods in agreement. 😂
But if you ask most kids honestly, they’re excited to see their friends again. Paul wasn’t talking about school being evil. He was reminding us that we live in a broken world filled with distractions, temptations, and competing priorities. If we’re not intentional, life will gladly spend our time for us.
Notice where Paul begins:
“Look carefully then how you walk…”
He’s talking about how we live. He’s talking about our daily choices, our priorities, our habits, and ultimately, our schedule.
Because here’s the truth: your calendar often reveals your priorities better than your words.
Paul says don’t live carelessly. Live wisely.
That phrase, “making the best use of the time,” literally carries the idea of buying back every opportunity. Time is one of the few resources you can never earn back once it’s gone. Every day is a gift from God, and every day is an opportunity to invest in what matters most.
As this new school year begins, don’t just organize your family’s calendar. Organize your priorities.
Before practices, games, meetings, homework, and appointments fill every blank space, ask yourself a few questions:
- Does my schedule reflect what I say is most important?
- Am I intentionally making time for God, my family, and my spiritual growth?
- Am I filling my calendar with things that matter, or simply things that keep me busy?
Busy isn’t the same as productive.
Activity isn’t the same as purpose.
A full calendar isn’t necessarily a faithful calendar.
The school year brings structure back into our homes. That’s a good thing. But don’t stop with structure. Build wisdom into your schedule.
When you plan your days with God’s priorities first, you’ll discover something remarkable: your schedule doesn’t just become more organized, it becomes more meaningful.
So before you fill in every square on the calendar, remember Paul’s challenge.
Walk carefully.
Live wisely.
Make the most of every opportunity.
The days may be evil, but with God’s wisdom, your days can still be full of purpose.
Alex Bryant is a pastor, author, and speaker who writes about race, faith, and culture in America.
