Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Thought:  To me, every needed support is available in Christ, even "mighty power" when we are very weak.

Question:  Do I collapse when weak or do I find His strength invigorating?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:10 (NIV):  "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power."

The word "finally" acts as a concluder.  When all our efforts at righteous unity and living relationally in God's ways are applied, we still will exhaust our reserves.  It is then we can resort once again to God's great, inexhaustible reserve of power.  "Be strong", (you "be strong"), "in the Lord."  What Christian hasn't experienced the Lord's very basic nature as often the only encouragement in darkness?  It is a common happening to feel like giving up.  We never know exactly when it will wave over us once again, but we are aware that the enemy has given us another sideswipe.  Then is the time to "finally, be strong in the Lord."  Not in ourselves; but in complete abandonment of self-capability, admitting inability and trusting Him to take over.  Let go and let God.  His strength is "mighty"!  It is not at all like our piddley efforts.  After all, He's The Creator:  His power is awesome.  We can tap into it because we are His children.  This is our joy:  that God will help us when we are so very weak. 

And this mighty strength can help in any one of the areas previously discussed (verses 1 through 9):  in marriage, parenting or on the job.

Prayer:  God of power, thank You for offering Your might and strength when I am weak!  Help me to acquire it from You whenever needed.  Amen. 

Thought:  To me, a constant consciousness of God, especially in the workplace, would eliminate a lot of poor treatment of others.

Question:  Am I a kind employer who does not function by threats?  Am I a responsive employee who works with integrity?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:9 (NIV):  "And masters, treat your slaves in the same way.  Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."

Happily, Paul also instructs the masters, employers, to act in a Christian way.  This is a fair exhortation:  first, the underling, then the overseer, taught to dwell in unity by each conforming to the behavior that springs from knowing Who truly rewards and why, whether that obeyer is the "under" one or the "over" one.

Paul specifically mentions a clear "do not" here:  "do not threaten."  It is an easy and common temptation to lord it over people who work under you.  Often a master will be tempted to get a lot more work out of a slave by pushing and bullying--abusing his authoritative power.  Paul anticipates this problem just as he anticipated lazy slaves.  Neither is a good way to act and neither will earn a reward from God.  Both master and slave, employer and employee, are accountable, on the same level, to the same degree, to God.  There is no "favoritism."  Keeping this perspective is beautifully self-correcting.  When creatures, all of them in all levels of status, know Who their Creator is and what He is doing with them, it should draw them into perfect alignment.  All should be motivated to do good:  that's the pure point.

Our Supreme Example, Jesus Christ, never lorded it over anyone, never forced His will upon anyone, but was characterized by His gentleness and compassion, while still holding complete rule as our Master.  In other words, He did not need to intimidate anyone to hold His authority, and the lesson to us is, neither should we.

Prayer:  Lord, as I have opportunity to rule over others, help me to do so with total awareness of Your presence and my future judgment.  Amen. 

Thought:  To me, life's deeds are transformed when the motive behind them is to please the Lord and earn a reward from Him.

Question:  Do I know that life is a series of opportunities to "do good"?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:8 (NIV):  "because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free."

What is our motivation in "serving wholeheartedly, as if you were serving (verse 7) the Lord"?  Are we indeed serving the Lord when we serve other people?  Indeed, our motivation is God, and yes, we serve the Lord when we serve other people.  How?  Is God dwelling "in" other prople?  Yes, in some and near others.  But that is not quite the point.  The point here is, to me, that God records all our behaviors and deeds.  Everything we do is kept track of.  We are accountable for everything not because of what we owe people but because of what we owe God.  We owe God ourselves, utterly and completely, because He died to redeem us and we are bought with a price and are not our own any longer.  And if God commands us to serve employers or "masters", then we should do that, not because they may be worthy to serve, but because God said to do it.  If God says we should jump off a bridge to certain death, we owe Him our obedience--we should do it.  Whether we understand why or not is not necessary.

Here, however, Paul states that we do know why we ought to serve our "masters" (employers.)  It is because we "know" that God rewards good behavior.  He rewards all good behavior of Christians, whether they have higher social status as employers (masters), or lower social status as slaves (employees).  So we learn here that earthly social status matters little!  What matters is how much real good we do.

This verse strikes me as an awesome truth and strong challenge.  It firmly girds our confidence that good behavior does not fall by the wayside unnoticed or unappreciated.  God is watching and tallying the "scorecards."  Also it motivates us to invest ourselves toward goodness.  Anything done that is not good wastes time, destroying that opportunity to do good.  We are continually offered the chance to act wisely.  God gives us this "gift":  the opportunity of the moment.  In this context the opportunity of the slave is to ever obey and serve his master, knowing God Himself is served by his humility, kindness, self-sacrifice and contribution of time and effort.  This is the Christian way.

Prayer:  Father Almighty, keep right purposes before my eyes:  that I am here to do good, no matter what my station may be.  And thank You, Lord, for coming rewards!  Amen.

Thought:  To me, this verse clearly shows the need to stop living just to please people.

Question:  Do I perform on the job with my "whole heart"?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:7 (NIV):  "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,"

Here again we see Paul telling workers to give their all.  The temptation not to is great because workers are not "family."  But God calls us to love strangers as well as family.  Anything we do we ought to do well, putting forth our strongest effort, or else that weak part will grow and destroy what part we had done well.

When Christians know they are doing something directly for God, they, being conscious of His presence and desirous of His approval, will, by His power, do their very best.  So should we always do in everything we undertake.  Why?  Because God really is in all things and is present near all people --inside some and next to others!

Christian workers ought to avoid an attitude of catering to men:  bowing and bending to please people.  Every situation, rather, should be approached by asking what Jesus would want done.  Our focus should be ever upon God Who is everywhere present and ever worthy of our best efforts.  We please Him above all!

Prayer:  My God, every task I do can be an offering to You!  Strengthen me to serve You, help me to think of You as I work and enable me to do every task with my whole heart just for You!  Amen.

Thought:  To me, many workplaces would benefit if employees did "the will of God" from their heart!

Question:  Am I a "man-pleaser" to get ahead, or a "God-pleaser" to invest in eternal reward?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:6 (NIV):  "Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart."

Paul calls "slaves", workers, employees, to a deep obedience.  Not a surface behavior, a workplace mode of operations that I shift in and out of to keep my job, which causes me to perform at a minimal level, doing just enough to get by, or which causes me to butter up an employer and set before their eyes an actually false picture of who I am when they are examining me; then as soon as they turn their gaze away, I relax and become careless.  Do I perform well only when scrutinized?  True character, they say, is revealed by what I do when alone.  Or, in other words, I am who I really am all the time, and especially is this proven when no one is watching.

The alternative to this kind of secular, human, weak behavior, is to live "like slaves of Christ."  Having the indwelling Holy Spirit means that Christ is with us all the time.  We are in His enslavement--His utter control of us.  If indeed Christ is fully in control, we will then perform God's will, not my employer's and not my own.  We will perform it consistently and continually.  And it will emanate from the "heart"--that is, from the central core of who I really am, which is where the Holy Spirit has residence.

Paul exhorts this kind of performance in the workplace to add to the framework of unity he has been touting.  Continuing along the line of various authorities, we proceed outside the foundational family to the workplace.  In Jewish culture the home, farm, was the workplace.  Today, however, it is different.  Servants, "slaves", in Jewry, were next in line of heirarchy after flesh and blood children, so the lines of authority stretched lastly to workers.  Thus, if all workers also allow Christ to control how they relate, the same peace and love that family members can experience will be shared into the workplace.  What God can do to unite families He can also do to unite work forces.  The Christian worker's responsibility is to be obedient to God!  Deeply obedient:  listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all things, "doing the will of God from the heart."

A good way to do the will of God in every matter is to ask yourself "what would Jesus do?" in each situation.  This reliance within self to listen to the Holy Spirit's direction is a healthy dependence completely on God.  As we wait to hear His answer it ought to come to us from having been steeped in scripture.  We know His teachings.  Combined with trusting that He will guide specifically and exactly, and will not let us slip away from His shepherding, we can confidently proceed in an exact direction.  We can respond in a Christ-like manner.  This "listening" is done on the deepest level--down in "the heart."  We shut out other inputs that clamor for our attention and focus.  We focus, rather, on the depth within where the Word has previously been laid down foundationally in us, becoming part of our very nature.  We may listen to many counsels where wisdom can be evidenced; but we make our decision based on following the ways Christ taught.  And let us not be discouraged when our conscience may differ from another's, whether believer or unbeliever.  This happens all the time.  God holds individuals responsible on an individual basis.  Paul has said, "...from your heart."

Prayer:  Dear God, help me remember You are watching all my deeds and every motive.  Help me to honor You at my workplace.  Amen. 

Thought:  To me, more people need to realize that God is sovereign over our relationsips, including employer/employee relationships.

Question:  Do I respect the authority of my employer?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:5 (NIV):  "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ."

We are continuing down "the line" of unity in society produced from the original foundations of living:  first, married couples, next children to parents and then parents to children.  Now we move further down line to the relations of slaves with masters.  Remembering that in Roman and Jewish households servants were present, we see this as a common arrangement at that time.  The "common arrangement" today, however, is employee and employer in a different workplace than the home.  Nevertheless, the same truths hold:  employees need to relate to their employers exactly in accordance with these scriptures which were written for slaves and masters.

Therefore, obedience becomes the order of the day.  Is someone in authority?  Then let them be--and obey them, showing that you accept their authority and respect their wishes.  To obey an employer is to obey God Who put that employer over you.

Workers are to respond to their employers "with respect."  To me, respect is an appreciation for the good in someone and causes admiration.  We're to respond with "fear."  This is not fright, but an acute awareness of authoritarian power over us.  We're also to respond with "sincerety of heart", that is, no underhanded motives but rather a real desire to please.  To me, this reveals whether we work merely for money or to please God Who created our employer, sees all we do and wants us to do our best.

Prayer:  Lord of all, open my eyes to see the awesome truth that places You in charge of every relationship, including that of employee and employer!  Amen. 

Thought:  To me, fathers are needed; especially to be more actively involved in the spiritual teaching of their children.

Question:  Do I exasperate my children?  Or do I nurture them?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:4 (NIV):  "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

To "exasperate" is to "irritate exceedingly; to enrage."  Fathers are here directed not to cause their children to react angrily.  It is wrong to drive someone into anger with your words and/or behaviors.  It is wrong for parents to irritate their children.  Parents are to, contrarily, soothe, patiently teach and guide, and provide the antithesis of provocation or stirring up to trouble.  That is why the alternative is given right here in the verse:  "instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  The King James Version uses the words "nurture and admonition of the Lord."  "Nurture" literally means "nourish."  This is referring to spiritual or moral teaching as nourishment for the soul. 

God never commands we erase a bad behavior without bringing to mind a good replacement activity to that behavior.  You cannot only stop bad behavior.  You have to also perform good behaviors.  Always, the good behavior is "of the Lord."  The Lord offsets our sinful angers, etc., not we ourselves.  Therefore, the only true antidote to sin is God's holiness, imparted to us through Christ, and here, imparted to the child through Christian training and Christian instruction.  So now the fathers cease from spending their time in wrangling with their children, unto exasperation, and begin to use their time, rather, to teach and instruct their children about the things of God.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, Who nurtures His own children, including me, please guide all fathers into kind and loving child-rearing.  Amen. 

Thought:  To me, success and prosperity come directly from God as He rewards our obedience to His commandments.

Question:  Will I enjoy a long life on earth?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:3 (NIV):  "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.' "

Here is the rest of the verse from Moses' Law as quoted from Deuteronomy 5:16, and given to him by God.  You can be fairly certain that if you see someone's life cut off shorter than another's, there may have been some dishonor sown toward their parents, and conversely, if you see prosperity and longevity, it is probably due to their having been obedient, cooperative children who went on, as adults, to heed the opinions and advice of their parents; that is, as it supports principles of scripture and ways of God.

Things "go well with you" when you obey God!  God Who sees all things will see to it that you are rewarded for your obedience.  Enjoyment of long life is a consequence of acknowleding Who has authority in your life; not yourself, but first of all, God, and second of all, the parents He gave you. 

Prayer:  Lord, help all your children to receive the promise of this awesome commandment and live by its precepts.  How we need to honor our parents!  Amen. 

Thought:  To me, our society could do a lot more to promote the respect of parents by their offspring!

Question:  Have I honored my parents?  Am I teaching my children to honor me?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:2 (NIV):  " 'Honor your father and mother'--which is the first commandment with a promise--"

Here Paul does actually quote the Mosaic commandment.  He mentions also that of all the ten commandments, it is the only one that carries a built-in reward:  if a child is honorable to his/her parents, he/she will be promised a long life on the earth.  When we obey God's ways we are benefitted in health and welfare.  It is that simple.

What does it mean to "honor" a parent?  To me, as the thesaurus bears out, it includes acknowledging their authority, commending their actions, praising them, respecting them and even celebrating their position.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise--a return favor for obeying Your great commandment to honor father and mother.  Help us all to see the far-reaching importance of this simple command.  Amen.

Thought:  To me, our culture complicates the simplest of commands to our own hurt.  What could be simpler and plainer than "children, obey your parents"?

Question:  Do I command the obedience of my children?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:1 (NIV):  "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

On top of the foundational unity of the faith found between married couples, is the cooperation in that unity, of the offspring.  All goes peaceably when every party in the lineup of authority cooperates.

This command goes back to Mosaic Law and the Ten Commandments, "honor your father and mother."  Part of honoring is the practice of obedience.  Obedience is the "right" thing to do toward someone who out-ranks you.  Parents out-rank their children because they procreate them.  We ought to obey God because He out-ranks us, having created us.

It occurs to me that much of what we ought to do in the Christian life is simply doing what is "right".  It is always "right" to obey our parents..."in the Lord."  What does this mean?  To me, it means as long as the parental command does not clearly cross God's commands we ought to obey it.  It is always "right" to obey parents when those parents are acting "in the Lord."  But because other scriptures teach us that sometimes there will be times when we ought to "obey God rather than men", we will know these times of conflict.  Then our priority duty is to do "right" and obey only God.

Prayer:  Lord, help us, as a nation, to return to the plain and admirable tenets of our Christian heritage.  Help parents to teach their children to respect them and obey them.  Amen. 

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