A Life Worthy

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  (Ephesians 6:12)

Ever have that nightmare where you’re being chased by a terrible monster, and no matter how fast you run it keeps getting closer and closer, and you’re absolutely powerless to stop it?

Or the one where it’s like you’re in a movie and you keep hitting the bad guy but it turns out he’s not really human but some kind of sci fi spooky robot monster kind of thing so everything passes right through him and you can’t seem to touch him but he’s about to touch you and that will be the end of you and you are absolutely powerless to stop him?

It’s kinda like that.

Only worse, because it’s real.

Physical skills cannot suffice against spiritual evil.  And that’s what you and I face each day as we go about our business.

Your only hope, my only hope, the only hope, is to let the righteous power of God guard us.

Don’t get macho about this.  There’s too much at stake.

Happy Monday, Beloved

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

How many pushups can you do?  How fast can you run? How far can you throw some large, heavy thing that needs throwing?

Doesn’t matter.

It’s not enough.

Hey, Mr. Cross-Training, Kickboxing, Black-Belt-Ninja-Man…it’s not enough.

No matter how expert, how brilliant, how talented you are, your powers are puny.   There are forces arrayed against you that are beyond your comprehension, much less your strength.  You can’t stand up to them—they will crush you to powder. You are no match for the least of them.

So don’t try to be.

You see, there is a God in Heaven, a God who makes all the forces of Hell itself look as weak and pathetic as…well, as you.  And he offers you his strength. He offers you his power. He wants you to stand in him today, putting on his power like a suit of armor. With him, in him, through him, you are invincible.

It’s a rough world out there.  Better suit up.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

Obey them, not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free  (Ephesians 6:6-8).

So we’ve established that you’re not a slave, although that may be difficult to believe some days.

But you probably have a boss, and these verses fit the boss-employee relationship, too.

It’s simple, really: you just have to imagine that your boss is the Lord.

Wait…are you laughing or crying?  I can’t tell.

I don’t know if you have a good boss or not, but I do know that “My boss is a jerk” is no excuse for failing to do your work wisely and well. If you have any doubts about that, I have one word for you.

Joseph

If anyone ever had an excuse for skating by and doing the minimum, it would have been he. But Joseph knew that, no matter who signed his paychecks, he had one Master.

You work for God, Beloved.  He redeemed you–that means he purchased you.  You have accepted him as Lord–that means he is your master. So whoever signs your paychecks, you only really ever have one boss. Work for him today…and give him all you’ve got.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord  (Ephesians 6:4).

I teach middle school.

You’re welcome.

In the era of COVID, I’ve been in a lot of how-do-we-get-back-to-school teacher meetings, and one of the major areas of focus has been how to build relationships even though we’re teaching from a distance. The big idea is that kids learn better if they have a positive relationship with their teacher.  I have some questions about the validity of this in a classroom setting–even a traditional one. I learned plenty in school, and don’t recall many significant teacher relationships. For that matter, my wife aced her AP test and refers to her teacher as a slave driver.

Be that as it may, I have no doubt that this idea is spot on when it comes to the home. Fathers, our job is to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. The stuff we’re teaching goes way beyond number sense and punctuation. We’re teaching life, and life eternal. That takes a relationship that is honest and deep and close and open to vulnerability. Hence the do not exasperate your children part of this verse. A frustrated, isolated, embittered child is not gonna be open to Life Lessons with Daddy.

Basically, if they are going to learn from you, they have to believe you.

So be someone they can believe.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

“Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise–”that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  (Ephesians 6:2-3)

Those of you who are paying attention know I covered these verses yesterday.

Gold star for you.

I’ve been spending a lot of time with my mother this summer. She’s 82, and has a hip that’s rapidly failing from arthritis. That would be the 2nd hip to go bad. This has caused severe pain and extremely limited mobility. Add to that her memory, which is more than a bit shaky these days, and a host of other age-related health issues, and it’s been a rough summer for Mom.

This verse has been on my mind as my sonly duties have morphed from picking her up for a doctor’s appointment to picking her up after a fall, from grabbing her some groceries to helping her eat them. The definition of “Honor” has changed over time, and I need to change with it. When I was a kid, honoring was pretty much the same as obeying. As a teen, honor meant trying to make her proud of me, or at least not embarrassing her. I remember a particularly painful middle-school sports award banquet where the coach forgot to call my name, and I actually waved my hand around to remind him that I was there.

Sorry, Ma.

When I left home, a big part of honoring my mom lay in simply not forgetting her birthday–which only happened the one time. Then came marriage and kids and honor meant remembering to involve her in family events and holidays, even when it was a hassle and involved two or three Thanksgivings on the same day.

Now, well, it’s changing again, and I’m not quite sure how it works. Today honor is about making decisions on Mom’s behalf and helping her do things she has always done for herself and comforting her when she’s afraid and taking a measure of authority over this woman whose word was law for all my growing years.

And trying to do it while helping her retain her dignity as she sits wide-eyed in a wheelchair crying from the pain and foggy from the pain meds and asking me why this is happening to her.

Well, beloved, it seems that I am using you as my personal therapist this morning. Thanks for letting me vent, and remember that life and circumstances and needs will all change, but the call to honor does not.

Honor your parents today, however they are, wherever they are.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved