10Your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
*Matthew 6.10, ESV
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5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
*Ephesians 6.5-8, ESV
The above instruction St. Paul gave to those seen merely as tools for the use of the privileged. He gave wisdom on how a Christian slave needed to act in the role given him or her. This would prove a great witness to the validity of the Christian message.
To be a slave and behave like a Christian was likely much more challenging than our behaving like Christians in the situations in which we live. But how often do we chaff at the service God and duty place upon us? How often would we break vows to others or God to find an easier path? How often do we murmur at the slightest inconvenience in our service to others in the name of God?
Sure, we are human and, so, will feel varied emotions in the challenges of work and relationships. Yes, likely, most of us will experience our share of unfairness.
Our question today is: "What shall we do with the duty assigned to us?" We shall persevere within the Divine will for us. We shall keep returning to God, and daily, to humble ourselves to follow the way given us. We shall ask for Grace to do what we are to do and not to make excuses to escape doing it. We shall learn that God will supply the inner strength and guidance to do what we need to do.
What Christ gives us to do is not any more important than the spirit to fulfill those duties with. St. Paul tells the slaves to respect those over them and have a sincere heart. They are to do the will of Christ heartfully. They are to render their work with goodwill, and they are to know God will bless them for their faithfulness.
Paul presents two aspects of life that often present conflict in life: the will of humans, the will of God. Paul says we can experience these as a harmony, even when the place or duties assigned us do not appear fair or worthy of our talents. We can fulfill duties with proper esteem and goodwill for those who are within the context of our service and work. At the same time, we can uplift our hearts by seeing what we do as done for Christ, principally, and as what God will bless us for.
In the Lord's Prayer we are told to pray that the Divine will be done on earth as in heaven. When we say this Prayer, we are praying to have the spirit of obedience to a higher way, as given by St. Paul, and a dedication greater than our human willfulness for personal convenience, or even safety. We can only do this consistently with deep humility and profound reliance on the Grace of God.
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*Are you resisting surrender to the Divine will in any area of your life? If so, how may you address that resistance?
*Have you experienced a time when you fulfilled your duty in a situation that was not ideally the Divine will for you, but you were faithful by giving that service to Christ? Explain.
*Have you ever had to disappoint someone to follow the will of Christ for you? Explain.
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in the continuance of his work of ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers, or through the Cokesbury on-line store, at www.cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox lives in Punta Gorda, FL, and Clearwater, FL, with his wife, step-son, and two beloved dogs. Brian has an independent writing, workshop, and retreat ministry focused on Christians living as spiritual disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life. He serves the Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. Brian is vowed at Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a vowed, contemplative life and inspires others to experience a more intimate relationship with God-in-Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the focus of the Church on addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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