Have an Eternal Perspective!

6:1 Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.

Though we are not "slaves" this passage applies to us today. How we work at our job is an example to both believers and non-believers. How are we standing out "from the crowd?" Are non-believers looking at us saying, "there is really is something different about them, I want that." Or "They SAY there is something different about them, but they act just the same as me." Our responses speak very loudly. Honoring God is something we should do at all times and people are watching us, whether we think they are or not. We should apply ourselves at work and not be lazy or complain when we are given something we don't want to do.

3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

The true teachings of Christ are what lead to godliness. Teach or believe anything else, you are believing/teaching a lie. Verses 4-5 contain a very strong description of what a false teacher is. It is very far from godliness, the exact opposite. "He understands nothing..." Is a very humbling line. Apart from the grace of God we cannot understand anything. If we are to reject His absolute truths then we are rejecting the gift of understanding. Most people today think they do understand, because they create what they want to hear in conceit. They say there are no absolutes. Their minds have become depraved of the truth, they twist scripture to make their own "perfect" God. If we buy into the worldly lies and deception of false teaching, we can slip into this "mindless" state. That is a scary place. What a gift God's word is to warn us about this and to help us fight!

6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

We must have an eternal perspective! We must be content in what we are given. We have been given more than we could ask for or know how to ask for. We have been blessed with salvation! Receiving what Christ deserved, while He got what we deserved! Our great problem and need has been taken care of. God is sovereign and the ultimate provider. We must trust in Him. I am thankful for verse 7. What a humbling reminder of how minuscule we are. Money is a blessing from God, we are to be thankful for it, but not love it. We should be craving Christ and not craving money. Money only buys what is temporal, Christ has bought and given us what is eternal!!!