Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ  (Ephesians 6:5).

I’ve never been a slave.

I’m gonna figure you haven’t been either.

So…kinda hard to identify with this one.

Yes, there’s the comparison to the boss-employee relationship, and I’ll explore that tomorrow, but really?

Not  the same.

Because your boss doesn’t own you. He just thinks he does.

So consider this, Beloved. Whatever hard thing you’re facing today, whatever difficult point of submission, whatever impossible area of trust, whatever grueling act of humility you are called to today…you are not anyone’s slave.

Unless you make yourself one

And remember that your act of obedience, or trust, or humility, or whatever, is actually directed to Christ. Just as the wife submits to Christ through her husband, and the child submits to Christ through his parents, so you submit to Christ today through this difficult act.

Look, if Jesus appeared before you in bodily form and asked you to get him a ham sandwich, you’d do it

even if you’re Jewish.

So, if he appears before you in the form of…

Fill in the blank, and act accordingly.

Happy Monday, Beloved.