DAILY WORD 11/12/20
1. All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching.
2. If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved.
1Timothy 6:1–2 NLT
Today’s Passage is an interesting one given the changing societal norms that have altered the trajectory of life in most of the world these days. In this Passage, Paul is addressing slavery and how Christians who were enslaved or indentured to others should act.
Now, thankfully, at least in this country, the shackles of slavery no longer resound, however, in the day that his Passage was written, slavery was still commonplace. It was not uncommon for Hebrews and others that they came in contact with throughout the growing Christian Faith to own or to be slaves.
Even as arduous and oppressive as slavery could be, Paul is telling Timothy that those burdened under the yolk of servitude still had a responsibility to God, and to the Church, as well as to their masters. Just because they did not enjoy their station in life, that did not mean that they, in good conscience, could act badly toward their “employers”.
They were expected to treat their masters with respect, even if they weren’t Christians. The reason behind this is two-fold. The first reason is to display the decorum that God’s people are called to present in every situation and condition, regardless of whether it is pleasant or disagreeable.
The second reason is just as significant, and maybe more so, given the commission that all Christians have been Delivered by God. If we are given the responsibility to tell others about God’s Love and Spread the Gospel. How can we do so if we are being discourteous or insolent toward those we are trying to Lead to Christ. And let’s be honest, as a slave, who would be more important for you to Lead to Christ than your master?
It is imperative for all Christians to represent God and the Church, His Love, and His Salvation in a manner becoming His Majesty. That includes doing so in situations that are less than palatable.
As a matter of fact, it may carry more weight if it is done in circumstances that are less than ideal. Then, all who see your witness will know that it is not out of blessing only that God’s Transformative Power is evident but out of misfortune as well. What better witness can you think of than that?
Before I move on to the next Verse, I want to address something that is not mentioned but is clearly implied about the Christian Church. This Passage proves that all are welcomed. Even those from a social status that may be considered less than that of others in society.
God is no respecter of persons and Paul is making it unequivocally clear that as Christian Leaders and as Christians in general, neither should we. Slaves were accepted in the Church as were their masters. Neither group was vaunted above the other, they were both seen as equals in the Body of Christ.
I’ll come back to that point in a bit but before I do let me address the second Verse of this Chapter. Here, Paul tells Timothy that if the masters of the Christian slaves are also Believers, the slaves should treat them with no less respect than if they were trying to convert or witness to them.
Both situations required Christians to act in a manner becoming God’s Redeemed children. Being upset or even enslaved, apparently, is no excuse to act any less Godly. This brings a new impact to the Passage in Ephesians 4:26–27 where it says, “Be angry and sin not:”. Just because your current situation is not ideal, that is no reason to represent God poorly.
That brings me back to the former point, that slaves were accepted in the Church even at its inception, and that both they and their masters were equal in God’s Eyes. The Christian Church is an all-comers organization and always has been. Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, Romans Samaritans, whoever accepts God’s Love and Forgiveness, confessing their sins and repenting from their former ways are accepted by Him and thus by the Church.
But what does this Passage have to do with us today? What can we take away from what Paul is telling us? At least in this country, slavery has been abolished for quite some time. However, the status of some individuals is still in question in certain circles. This does not apply to how God sees us nor should it apply to how we deal with or accept others.
This lesson applies to all of us today who hold jobs, even those of us that are entrepreneurs. (It also applies to those that hold positions within the Church.) We are to treat all people, even our “bad bosses” with respect and deference, regardless of how they treat us.
This will both Honor God but it will also display that Christians are the “peculiar people” that 1 Peter 2:9 states that we are. There is no better way to show forth God’s Love or to Praise Him than to display His Kindness and Compassion to all those around us, especially those that do not treat us with the same respect.
To build up a Church that is both inclusive and representative of God’s Own Attitude, we must give respect to all people. We must accept all people from every walk of life into the Arms of Love that the Church represents. And we must be willing to overlook our own frustrations and circumstances and Reflect God’s Love to all those we encounter, even those that show us only animosity and disrespect.
This is not an easy undertaking, especially when it is your life in the balance but Jesus Gave Up His Life to Show us His Love. In the same respect, if we are to Represent Him properly, we are expected to sacrifice whatever is necessary to show forth His Love to others as well. That is what it means to be a Christian and as Christian Leaders, it would do us all well to remember that lesson.
Have a Thought-Provoking Thursday and Stay Safe out there!
#dailyword
