Ephesians, Chapter 6

Jan. 20, 2022

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

5Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

9And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

21But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

22Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (To the Ephesians written from Rome, by Tychicus.)

Because of traffic conditions, I always got to work early. I’d sit out on the company-provided patio and watch my co-workers arrive. A person didn’t have to have super-intelligence to read their demeanor; they hated being there, they hated their jobs, and if they’d had their druthers, they would gladly have been anywhere else. I suspect it’s pretty much the same in most companies across the nation. But it’s unfair to expect that the company you work for is going to give meaning to your life; you give meaning to your life; God gives meaning to your life.

Like most everything in life, you are the one who brings dignity and excellence to your endeavors. If you are the only who recognizes what a great job you’ve done, consider that your reward; you’ve met your own expectations, fulfilled your obligation, and can stand before God knowing that you’ve done your best. If you wash cars for a living – wash them like each one belongs to God. If you perform surgery, make each incision and corrective action the very best – this patient is a child of God. Everything in between the two should be done to the glory of God and with the knowledge that you’ve given your very best. This puts a whole new gloss to punching that time clock every day.

Do all things to the glory of God.

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