Based on Ephesians 5:15 – 6:9 (New King James Version)
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”
In this life, we have all kinds of relationships, either personal relationships, or work relationships, or even temporary relationships, like when we go to a store to buy food, or when we go to work most days of the week, with those that drive around us, or walk alongside us. There are relationships that will last a lifetime, and there are relationships that will last minutes or even seconds, but we all have all kinds of relationships with different people. Even in this very cybernetic world that we live in today, relationships or links are made with known people, and with totally unknown people through social networks. Finally, human beings cannot avoid having relationships with others, whether with many or very few, there will always be some kind of relationship with someone.
In today's passage, we see certain examples that the Word gives us to know how to deal with some of these different types of relationships. We see that It speaks to us about how we should act with other believers, in marriage, between parents and children, and with our work relationships. We see that, depending on the relationship, there must be edification, love, subjection, honor, obedience, respect, and decent treatment. In every situation, there is something paramount that must happen. Among brethren or believers in Christ, there should be edification and submission. Between a marriage, the man is to love his wife, and the wife is to submit to her husband. I must clarify, does loving a wife consist of spoiling her? No. God loves us, and we must see what love consists of through what He does with us, and not through what we come up with. And also, does submitting to a husband mean that a person must do everything that is asked? No. In subjection, there is no implication for abuse, even less, following another person in things that do not please God. So, neither in the love of one for the other, nor in the subjection of one to the other, is there place for exploitation, or manipulation, or abuse, or anything that resembles that. It is very clear that the model for marriage is Christ and His church. Between father and children, children must honor their parents, which does not consist in doing things that go against the Lord, but in obedience and also in care. And just because you get married doesn't mean you have to abandon your parents, because honor is for life. Marriage should not interfere at all in honoring parents as is the custom of many today. And of course, parents must raise their children as God also does with us, especially in counsel, and God does not spoil or let a child do as they see fit. And what can we say between masters and servants, or bosses and supervisors and employees? And if a person owns a business, and manages it well, they are servant to many masters, because each client is his master.
And all this brings us to the most important thing, to the reason why we must have to do everything in this life, especially if we really want to attain eternal life and the rewards that only God can give. Above every relationship, whatever it is, we must always keep in mind that God is the one who is watching, and that He will judge us according to what we do. This is true faith: that God exists, and that He is Who He is, and that we must do as He says, whatever it costs us, because He will finally judge each one of us, especially those who say we believe in Him. True faith does not consist of anything else. The Word says this: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10. There is something we must all have clear, and that is that God made us and saved us so that we could serve Him, to do His will. The Word says this: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. Some will think: “I am a child of God, and that makes me saved.” And yes, being a child of God gives us salvation, but a child who does not do the will of the Father will not inherit eternal life. If one considers themselves a child of God, then they must live to serve the Father just as Christ did. This says the Word: “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. ‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’ Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.” Malachi 3:16-18. Our faith consists of serving God, of doing His will, of dedicating ourselves to His business and not our own affairs. God is watching everything, and He will judge us according to our works. So then, are you living mindfully that God is watching, and that He will judge you based on all of your intentions and works some day? Lord bless! John