Third Key to Thriving Be The One Family,  Hope this week finds you blessed and winning! This is our third week in our seven part blog about thriving in a hard season. Again, I hope you’re taking the time to read these because I believe they will encourage your heart.  Let’s look back at our verse which is Ephesians 5:15-21 and unpack a couple of thoughts.  Ephesians 5:15-21 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. As we re-read this text what jumps out to you? Paul emphasizes to not be unwise. Anytime I emphasize something as a parent, it’s not because I'm concerned they didn’t hear me. (We’ve had their hearing checked many times. Haha!) My concern is that they do not understand. In all of life, getting understanding is key.  THE THIRD KEY TO THRIVING IN A HARD SEASON IS TO GET UNDERSTANDING. The Bible tells us to fight for understanding. It’s important to know that God wants to communicate with us. He wants us to know how He thinks. Yes, His thoughts are higher and you’re never going to know exactly what God is doing, but you can definitely get an understanding on what He values. We can see that He wanted us to know about His principles, power, plan and priorities because He gave us the Bible.   If you were to ask me what hurts people the most, I would have to say it’s the lack of understanding. God gave us a blueprint of how to thrive in singleness, marriage, parenting, old age, youth, business, government, finances and spiritual life. There is no scenario or season that God’s perspective can’t be applied to. When people try to navigate their own life, their own way unbeknownst to them, they are walking away from understanding. Think of this - If we knew the deviation that an affair would cause long term would we blindly move forward? If we knew that living under budget would build a financial security that could enhance our family, would we avoid the drive through line at our favorite fast food restaurant? If we applied forgiveness when we are offended rather than judgments would our relationships thrive? There is more than just hearing. We want to gain understanding so we can navigate the difference between what is wise and unwise.  Family, we must be careful to operate with understanding rather than cultural narratives. I can confidently say that God isn’t looking for opinions. He is looking for obedience. The Bible tells us that when we are fully trained we will be like our teachers. We’ve all had teachers. parents, coaches, educational systems, and even churches that have helped shape our worldview. We all have a worldview. A worldview is how we see the world (such as mankind, issues, problems and what needs to be done about it). Every worldview that is opposite to God’s is unwise. Our society has embraced awareness and loves to proclaim it’s position. Our position is to understand God’s heart on the matter. Like many of you, I’ve wanted to get on my Facebook or Instagram and give my point of view. Which I have. But for me to thrive in a hard season, I need to gain understanding. My encouragement is to use this time to pick up your Bible and dial into the way God sees it.  Three quick thoughts about gaining understanding: 1. Understanding comes as we humble ourselves and ask questions. 2. Understanding comes as you give up old mindsets. 3. Understanding comes as you act on the revelation that God has given you. Hope you have a great week! Love ya,  Steven Sexton