Colossians 3:18-25

Colossians 3:18-25  Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.  Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

After telling believers whatever you do, whether in word of deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him, Paul admonishes husbands, wives, parents, children, and slaves to serve others with all of their hearts as working for the Lord.  American Christians often speak of servanthood yet experience difficulties when serving actually costs them something or service become an inconvenience.  We want to serve on our terms, when it fits into our schedules and does not take too much time, strength, or emotional energy.  We have protective cliches to shield ourselves from responsibility for the needs of others, and we are convinced our needs come first.  "I have to take care of myself, don't I.  My family should come before other people.  I have my own problems.  I can't get involved in ministry because my husband and kids are just lost without me.  I need what little time I have for my family.  There are other people with more time and talent than I have to offer."  Many simply say, "It's my life and I am going to live it my way.  I work hard and no one has a right to tell me what to do."  Our American culture extolls independence from authority and freedom from interference and oppression.  Our forbearers broke free from the bondage of monarchism and based our government on principals of personal freedom.  Our Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."  Setting aside personal needs and rights to become subservient to someone else or serving without any thought of receiving anything in return seems difficult to many; for some the thought remains an anathema.  Yet the Spirit of God constantly reminds us of our calling to love others as Christ loved us.  Paul told the Galatians: You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself."  (Galatians 5:13-14)

Many Americans combine their strong sense of personal freedom with the current pervasive materialistic view of life.  They decide since we  go around only once, we should use our rights and privileges to enhance our brief sojourn with all the earthly benefits we can amass.  Submission to others or looking to meet their needs gets in the way of storing up treasures for ourselves.  As Christians we are so blessed by the Lord's favor, his bountiful mercy and grace; but there is a danger in getting so used to handling holy things as if they were common while walking hand in hand with Jesus that we forget He is LORD OF ALL and Lord of our lives.  If we lived in the time of a carnal King such as King David and we were invited to come into his presence; we would not even look at him when we approached him, not even raise our eyes to look into his eyes.  Recognizing him as the representative of God on Earth, the chosen king of the land, we would crawl to him, eyes on the floor, until he acknowledged us and gave us permission to have an audience with him, an opportunity to speak in his presence.  People living under a monarch better understand lordship and submission.  Because of our freedom, we carelessly call Jesus Lord without knowing what we say.  Therefore, it is often burdensome for wives to submit to their husbands; vexing for husbands to serve wives as Christ served the church; trying for children to obey their parents in everything; difficult for fathers not to embitter their children; demanding for workers to complete all their duties, even when the boss is unfair and cruel.  We don't understand that kind of committed and slavish obedience, but if we yield with a sincere heart by submitting to Christ, the world will see the love of our LORD revealed in and through us as we work with all our hearts for him.  

We say we will follow Jesus wherever He leads but often stop short when He opens doors, saying, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  In our homes, on the job, in the neighborhood, at the shopping mall, wherever we find ourselves and see people needing us; that is where the Lord calls us to serve.  Yet our self-absorption and rebellious hearts keep most of us focused on the our own needs: I have to get the house cleaned.  What do I need at the store?   Where is the best sale on chicken?  I am not going to speak to my sister until she calls me first.  I have to get this project finished by five o'clock.  Why is he always late picking up the kids from the sitter?  We tend not to listen to the Lord, not to hear the Spirit's still small voice, telling us to sit down by that discouraged co-worker during lunch, to send an email to a friend, to make a call we have put off, to visit a person we have promised to visit for months (even if it is a little embarrassing), to buy extra groceries for a family down the street with the husband out of work.  There is no end to the ordinary acts of kindness for ordinary people when we get started and give God a chance to reign in our hearts.  Americans are not the only selfish ones.  The media sends out a message to the world: BE ALL YOU CAN BE.  This seems to be one of the main goals of modern society, yet such an aim does not always lead to cooperation and working together for the good of all.  For believers such a goal does not promote taking up the cross and following Jesus to spread the Good News.  

The world says get up early and work as hard as you can for yourself--the survival of the fittest.  None of us is immune to this self-spirit, but this is not the spirit of Christ.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!  (Philippians 2:5-8)  We are new creatures in Christ who did the Father's will.  When James and John sought positions of power at Jesus' side in glory, Jesus knew they did not understand his mission.  He said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Mark 10:42-45)  The Father's will was for Jesus to serve and ultimately to give all that we might live.  Wives serve your husbands, husbands serve your wives, children serve your parents, parents serve your children, workers serve your bosses, bosses serve your workers.  Love one another deeply from the heart (1 Peter 1:22) as Christ has loved us.