“…but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.” Romans 16:19

Guys – I wanted to encourage you with this verse from Romans 16. Paul gives us instructions that I think can be very helpful for us as men and leaders.

Be wise in what is good… the idea of being wise is that we should be intelligent, experts or skillful in the things that are good. As men, we enjoy getting good at things – most of us are competitive by nature. We recognize that to be good at something takes a lot of work, a lot of practice and learning from our mistakes. Many of us have spent hours over a BBQ trying to get meat just right, nights on a driving range trying to straighten out a slice or weekends trying to figure out what is the right combo of bait and lures to catch the big one.

So it would make sense that if we are to heed Paul’s advice and be skillful in good things, that will entail a learning process, some time and patience… but working on things that we love is not a burden to us. We should be focused on being excellent in things that are good; things that draw us closer to God and things that will bless others. Developing a deep and fruitful relationship with God does not happen overnight.

Our lives are directed by our focus – we follow what we love. Do we love what is good?

Our families follow our lead – we set the tone for our home. Do we lead them in what is good?

When you love someone, you set yourself apart for that person, it is not a labor or a hardship. You are not focused on what you are missing out on but rather what you gain from being with that person. When we think of following what is good and turning away from evil, the best question to ask is; Am I separating myself unto God and loving Him or am I just trying to stay separated from the world? Your results will depend on how you answer that question…

The next post will cover being simple concerning evil…

Trevor Steenbakkers
Men’s Ministry Pastor