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Daily Devotion: Ephesians 6:5-9

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Ephesians 6:5-9     "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;  (6)  Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;  (7)  With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:  (8)  Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.  (9)  And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."

Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40) There is something that I noticed in the past few days concerning these subjects in Ephesians. I started noticing it in Ephesians 5:21, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." Husbands are to be toward their wives as Christ is to the Church. Wives are to submit to their husbands "as unto the Lord." Children are to obey their parents "in the Lord." Parents are to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Today we see servants (employees) are to "be obedient to them that are your masters ... as unto Christ." But also, masters (employers) are to "... do the same things unto them." This applies to every relationship we will ever experience in life. I write this as a student, not a teacher, but this world would be a much better place if we would strive to treat everyone else as we would seek to treat Jesus the Christ. I know the first reaction to that statement for some people might be, "but others do not treat me that way." The basic truth of the matter is that I cannot control how others act, but with God's help I can do better with my own life. Again, we see the words of Jesus, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." (Matthew 7:12) Whether we are subject to someone else or are in a place of authority, we are to approach life with the attitude of treating others with respect. And yes, I do know there are times when all we can do is turn and walk away rather than continue to be subjected to constant harassment. But that does not allow me to treat others in any way than that which is taught in the Scriptures.

The Servant's Song by Richard Gillard

Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant too

We are pilgrims on a journey
Fellow travelers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the nighttime of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear

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