Ephesians 6:1-9

Obey your parents. It is a command, not a suggestion. We are to do this in the Lord. He gives us the strength and ability to obey and want to obey. Left to ourselves we would want to do everything according to us. In Leviticus and the early part of the OT, unruly, disrespectful, and selfish children were stoned. How thankful I am of the gospel which has informed my parents parenting. I have sinned numerous times against them, yet because Christ first loved they also love and forgive my sins. I deserve death, yet God in His mercy place Christ there in my place and defeated it. My desire is to honor my parents. I am so blessed to have the mom and dad I do!!! I thank God for them continually! What a blessing it is to have parents who continually challenge me in my walk with Christ, are always there when I need them, love me no matter how I sin against them, and if I went on, you would be reading this post for a really long time! Both of their godly examples I greatly admire and benefit from. I have and will continue to learn much from them. I am thankful God has shown me the importance of their input in my life and that I don't think they are against me. My parents I know are for me, because God is for us! It also being the first commandment with a promise. That promise is "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." I want to glorify God with my response towards my parents. I honor God in how I honor my parents. The next line:"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." I am thankful that my dad doesn't provoke me to anger... when I get angry with him, it is my own sinfulness. He has and is continuing to do a wonderful job instructing me in the way of the Lord. I pray if the Lord blesses me with children that I will do as this passage says, just as my dad does!

This is how we should obey Christ. He is our master! But we are also called to obey those over us. We are not to serve out of a desire to be a people-pleaser or to gain glory for ourselves. Rather we are to be sincere in heart. Doing God's will to glorify Him and not bring any attention to ourselves. We serve others, because we are serving God. We lay down our lives for others, because Christ laid down His life for us. Any good that we do or desire to do, is placed there by God. Christ perfects it, our works and good deeds are meaningless without His precious blood. We are also not to "lord" over those whom God entrusts to us. As a "master" we still serve, because we belong to Christ. Again this passage is so full of truth that needs to be reviewed time after time, I look forward to seeing your posts!