How Should We Live?

Colossians 3:18-25

In this section, Paul addresses relationships within the home. The first relationship he discusses is that of husbands and wives. Wives are to be submissive to their husbands, and husbands are to love their wives. Now, we are not wives, but I think all of us hope to be wives someday. This means that we need to be preparing ourselves for marriage by practicing submission and other qualities found in Titus 2, Prov 31, and Eph 5. These attributes can be practiced through submission to parents and to church leadership, and those other as character qualities in your everyday life. When it does come time to marry, you want to make sure that the man you are interested in loves the Lord more than anything else, even you. This also needs to be true of you. You should be satisfied in Christ before you are married because your husband will never be able to fulfill all your desires. Another quality you want in a man is the ability to lead you spiritually and to love you as Christ loves the church. He will not be perfect, nor will his love, but the key fact is that he is striving for that goal.
The next relationship addressed is between parents and children. This is something we can all relate to right now since we are all children. As I mentioned earlier, practicing obedience and submission to your parents is one way that you are training for marriage. It is also a picture of our relationship with God. He is our loving and perfect Father who will discipline us in order to produce righteousness in our lives. It is out of love that our parents guide and discipline us. They are seeking to teach us how to live godly lives. You girls are just beginning the transition from complete parental guidance to independence. Your parents are wise and have lived longer than you. Respect their opinions and listen to them. God has placed them in your lives to help you and guide you. You are growing up and need to begin taking responsibility for your life, but that does not mean that your parents have no say or authority over you. As long as you live in their house, you are obligated to their authority. Even as you leave the house, until you are married, they still have authority over you. It is imperitive that you treat them with respect. They are not perfect and will make mistakes, but you need to work with them as a team as you learn and grow in your walk with Christ.
The last relationship is that between servants and masters. We don't have servants or masters like they did in biblical times, but I think the principles can be applied to a job situation. You should obey your bosses (as long as they are not telling you to sin) and do your work with excellence so that you will be able to be a witness for Christ. You want the people you work for and with to see that you are different. The goal of doing your work with excellence is not to gain praise or recognition, but to bring glory to Christ. Remember that! This idea of excellence in all that you do should be applied to your whole life, from school, to work, to church, and at home. All things should be done with excellence as unto the Lord for the purpose of bringing glory to His name. In verse 23 and 24, we see that God will reward those who serve Him, and punish those who don't. It is a matter of reaping what you sow. Make sure that you are sowing godliness and thus reaping the fruit of righteousness.