Day Fifteen
Melissa Jarmel
My name is Melissa Jarmel. I’m currently a second-year Neurobiology student at the University of Texas. I love simple things that bring great joy: books, coffee, music, sidewalk chalk; I guess I don’t mind those great things that bring great joy either, like Jesus, family, and friends; they’re pretty cool. Being a military-brat helped me feel like anywhere could be home, but being a daughter of the Lord made me realize that my home is always with Him.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 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 6:5-8
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Key Verse: "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men." |
Christ died to set us free from the approval of men; our worth comes from Him.
Earthly masters. Parents. Teachers. Employers. Approval from those who hold power; gold star praise for a job well done- these were the things my heart desired from those I considered above me. My childhood was spent striving for this kind of attention, while my adolescence was torn between this craving and something rebelling in my heart, a feeling that this validation isn’t what I wanted at all. Have you been there?
In this passage, Paul reminds us that the “what” of our striving actions with regard to our earthly mastersshould not necessarily change, but the “why” definitely should. It is a good thing to be in the favor of those around you, but that good favor should not be the goal of your actions. Jesus died so that you don’t have to be performance-based anymore. Jesus died so you could understand what a relationship means. He came so you could know Him, hear Him, love Him. He has placed people in your life that you are to serve, not because you are inherently less but because, by serving others, you come to be more like Him. You serve wholeheartedly in every capacity of your life not as a means to an end with men, but as an act of worship and thanksgiving to the God who knows your heart and longs for you to know Him.
1. How often do you find yourself judging your worth on the reactions of your “earthly masters”?
2. How would serving Jesus wholeheartedly, instead of men, affect your quality of work on a daily basis? What would that even look like?
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