“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11

He was WAY down the road when I saw him! Which gave me time to think about what to do when I caught up. A man wearing a backpack was riding a bicycle, while pulling another one along. The closer I got, the wavy-er he rode. Approaching him carefully, I lowered my window and asked… “Is that your bike?” The toothless man, wearing a Marine ball-cap, got angry, then said, “who are YOU?”

I was still trying to figure out what I was seeing, so I answered HIM with a question… “Who are YOU and is that your bike?” With all hands and feet rather busy, his anger got the best of him. “Well you just wait right there, and I’ll show YOU who I am!” With that, he tried to get off the bicycle without crashing both! With his angry demeanor, I knew the bike wasn’t his!

I’ve had bikes stolen from me before. Like any theft, there’s a negative feeling of hopelessness and vulnerability that was left in the bike’s place. Losing something by theft makes trust in others harder to find and reveals that life on Earth… is a battle that evil CAN win! Hating to feel like a victim, I usually stand up for righteousness when I see something out of whack!

Suddenly, the man’s anger arose and I had a decision to make. I could pull off to the side of the road and take him up on his challenge. Or I could just press the gas pedal and move on. Not wanting to ‘make the news,’ urged me to ride off into the sunset. But in my exit from evil, I sent off a warning of my own to help him rethink his life… “I’m going to go call the police!”

Today’s verse is very clear. Paul tells us that seeing evil, and keeping quiet about it, are not bunk-mates! We are told to avoid evil. But also commanded to expose it when we see it. We have kids in our land who need to see, and avoid, evil for what it is. Bike guy may have gotten away with something, but he now knows that not everyone will just ‘let it go!’

Are YOU a member of God’s Anti-evil team of warriors? Do you stand against it when evil is seen coming your way? My Dad taught me that, ‘saying nothing makes ME guilty!’ God’s Word must be where he learned that lesson! I’ve learned that I do not want evil riding alongside me, steering my direction! Thanks Dad’s!