Saturday after the Tenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-9 (NKJV)

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Devotion

“I hate my job.” How many times have you heard those words or maybe even said them yourself? The reality of life is that not everyone is going to find a perfect job. The good news is that in our country people do have the opportunity to look for another job. When Paul wrote to the Ephesians he wrote concerning families and also to “bondservants” which is another way of saying slaves. Slaves had no choice about who they were going to work for.

Yet, Paul pointed out to these “bondservants” who they really worked for: “doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.” Whether one is “slave or free” does not change the fact that the Christian really is responsible to God. God provides “all that we need to support this body and life,” which includes a job to earn money to buy “clothing and shoes, food and drink,” etc.

So if you, or your brother or sister in Christ, has one of those days where either of you says, “I hate my job,” just remember Who you really work for and repent of those ill thoughts and ill feelings.

And by the way, if God has given you the opportunity to supervise others, “do the same things to them.” Remember Who has given you your job and Who you really work for, which, in the end, puts all of us in the same position of being responsible to God, which isn’t so bad when you really think about it. Our Master purchased us with the blood of His own Dear Son.

Heavenly Father, keep me ever mindful of my need for repentance and Your love for me in Christ. Amen.