Servant of Christ, yet free

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. Ephesians 6:5-9

We always struggle with obedience because part of our nature as human beings is to be in control of our lives. We would like to be always in control of the circumstances we are dealing with. This is why we find it difficult at times to place our trust in God. This is also the reason why we cannot submit ourselves to His Lordship. When we struggle committing ourselves to obeying God, this could affect our relationship with others. From our text, there is a promise of reward to those who believe in the Savior and are obedient to Him. No matter what status we have in life, we are called upon to learn how to submit and we do this not to please others but because we want to please the One who should have supremacy over our lives. This will mean on not insisting our rights instead to wait upon God as He accomplishes His will over our lives and to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit. To ignore God and His leading will result to grave consequences but obedience to Him will be rewarded. Things that you accomplished without His leading do not give glory to His Name. And your purpose as a child of God is to glorify and honor Him with all you do. “...for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20). Moses went ahead without waiting on the will of God and acted based on his judgment and it resulted to irreparable consequences (see Exodus 2:11-15). Actions done based on a decision apart from God’s leading can bring you to an experience of unnecessary pain. You are not the only one who could be hurt by such misguided actions but it can also cause others heartache and suffering. It can lead to mistrust in relationships, losing out on finances, and even future opportunities. Learning to submit to God’s leading is perplexing at times but the substitute, being disobedient to His will, could be costly. If you acknowledge Him in your life as your Lord and Savior and you grow learning obeying Him, you discover that doing His will becomes a source of contentment and joy. “And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ” (1 Corinthians 7:22).

Blessings,

Noel De Guzman

www.my-wbc.com

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