Do All to the Lord

Eph. 6:8

Knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is slaved or free.

The principle in Christian human relations is simple: Do all to the Lord. If there is good, the Lord will reward. Although it is nice, it is not necessary to get human praise or reward. Since Paul has covered husband/ wife relationships in great detail, he moves on to child/parent relationships. Simply put, it is right for children to obey their parents.  As an added incentive, it is a commandment with promise. On the converse side, father stop provoking your children to anger, but instead raise them in the Lord. Does the overriding principle apply here? Yes, if children are obeying as to the Lord, then they are taking it out of the realm of human experience. Not everyone gets a godly or even a kind father [parent], yet if obedience is to the Lord and the reward is from Him, then the entire parameters are changed. The same goes for the parent. Not everyone gets a responsive and obedient child, but if the Lord is the most important consideration,  then the entire relationship is left up to Him.

 Paul then continued with slave/master relationships. [Interesting to note that Paul didn't advocate the overthrow of slavery.] Slaves are to obey with fear and trembling as they would to Christ. In this relationship there should be no obedience from eye-service or people pleasing, but it should be genuine, rendering service as to the Lord and not to man. The slave must always remember that when he does good, he will receive back from the Lord. This is especially crucial. There is no familial bond between slaves and masters like with children to parents. In fact, many times there was not a shred of kindness or decency. It was a demeaning existence where the slave had no personal rights at all and was even treated with abuse. Without Christ in the heart, this relationship was horrible! The slave had to keep this principle in the forefront of his mind at all times. What about the masters? Christian masters must be motivated by the same principle. They must stop threatening and being abusive even though society condoned it. They must remember that the God of the slave was also the God of the Master. In the eyes of God slave and master were the same. Wow! How that must have impacted the masters! What a wake-up call! 

Father,

In all my relationships help me to do all to Your name and for You. Help me not to be fettered by unkind words or actions but keep my focus ever on You.

In Jesus name,

Amen