“Be careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” – Ephesians 5:15
On our recent trip to Sweden one of the tourist attractions we visited was Gripshom Castle which boasts of one of the largest collections of portraits in the world. Literally every room and corridor in that magnificent palace is lined with portraits dating back to the sixteenth century painted by famous portrait artists of the respective periods. Great works of art each and every one, the subjects both men and women dressed in finery that suggested royalty, nobility, and some cases high military rank, yet with few exceptions there was no signage, or brochures that I am aware, explaining who these specific individuals were or their position in or contribution to society.
At some point, having become overwhelmed, maybe even a little bored, by the massive numbers of portraits at every turn, I found myself curious about exactly that, aside from representing the royalty and aristocracy of their times, who were these people, I wondered? Yes, they made the “A” list to get invited to the lavish balls that Gripshom Castle must have hosted over the course of its history, most likely they were rich and well educated, and no doubt born into the right families. Otherwise, besides birthright, what had they done to earn their place on the walls of fame of that historic royal palace?
One of my dear friends used to muse about judgment day that maybe we will only be asked one question to justify ourselves. “What did you do with what I gave you?” the Lord will demand to know. (Hmm! Wonder where he came up with that one? Ah, but didn’t Jesus tell a similar parable about the master entrusting talents to three servants before leaving town, then asking for an accounting when he returned?)
Remembering my friend’s musings about judgment day brought it all into perspective for me, for I began to realize that those people whose portraits hang on the walls in that castle were just like you and me. We’ve all been entrusted with something, and some I suspect either buried or squandered it with little or nothing to show, as we humans sometimes do. Others, though, used theirs for good, multiplying its value. It’s all an ancient lesson that applies to everyone. So, “be careful, then, how you live,” as Paul reminds us, “not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”