Reading Plan:
Ephesians 6:1-9

Author: Mellanie Alexander

Today we are looking at a set of scriptures from one of my favorite authors in the Bible, Paul. He was writing from prison to the church at Ephesus. Ephesians is about Christ reconciling all of creation to Himself and God and reconciling people from all nations to Himself and one another. Not only were we made for God, but we were also made for each other. In Ephesians 5:22-33, you will find what it looks like to submit to God and submit to one another as husband and wife. This passage is important because what happens in Ephesians 6 affects our understanding of how God intends the marriage relationship to work and what God intended for submission to look like. There's a reason it comes before Ephesians 6, so if you have a chance, go back and read through those verses.

Ephesians 6:1-9 shows what submission looks like in every other relationship. Children are told to obey and honor their parents. God even says that life will go well for them if they get this one down pat. We talked about discipline and boundaries earlier this week, and I believe without those, you cannot show your children what honor and obedience look like. If there are no rules or boundaries, there can be no obedience. It is important for kids to learn this. If they cannot honor and obey parents who they can see, then how will they honor and obey God who they can't physically see? Through this passage, kids can understand that God commands them to not only honor their parents, but through honoring their parents, they ultimately learn what it means to honor our Heavenly Father.

Verse 4 deals with fathers and it's a big one- a hard one. It says, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instructions of the Lord." Paul tells fathers not to provoke children to anger. Have you ever been super angry at your child, and then disciplined your child from a place of anger? I'm sad to say I have. When you are in that moment, it's hard to see through the anger and think about the impressions you are leaving on your child's soul. Sometimes it's hard to remember that your child experiences feelings just like you. They can be frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, sad, and anxious, and they don't always know to express these things in a healthy way. I don't always express these things in a healthy way. That's why it's so important to train them in a way that is firm and gentle at the same time. The Bible tells us time and time again to discipline, but this can be done in ways that show love instead of anger. Dads, you are really big in your kids' eyes and your tone is everything. Have you ever heard someone say, it's not what you said but how you said it? Your babies are so impressionable. Just the way you say something can crush their soul. They can begin to think they aren't good enough or they never do anything right. I know, because these are things I felt growing up and struggled with them on into my 40s. Discipline them in love and by following God's instructions. Even when it's hard to do so.

The rest of the verses talk about servants submitting to their masters. The part that caught my eye is where he is talking to servants about their motives for work and he tells them to work "as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,". Ultimately, I think this is the heart of submission. We do the will of God from a heart of love for God. If we are married, we submit to one another because we love God. We honor our parents and submit to them because we love God. We discipline our children because we love God. As employees or even as a boss, we work and do the right thing because of our love for God. If we are children of God, Christ's love compels us (2 Cor. 5:14). I want to live from a place of submission simply because I love my God. In doing so we can know, "...that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord." (Eph. 6:8)


Reflection & Response:
• Do you provoke your children to anger by how you discipline them? What can you do to change this?
• Do you have relationships where you need to learn to submit knowing you are ultimately submitting to God? Pray and ask God to show you areas where you are struggling with this.

HAVE KIDS?

Use the content below to dive deeper into the Bible Reading Plan with your family.

Family Application: Honor Your Family and God

• Today is an exciting day. We are reading from the book of Ephesians. Ephesians was written by a man named Paul. Paul wrote a lot of the New Testament. Paul was a missionary, and he wrote this book of the Bible from a prison.
• In today’s verses, it tells us that God wants us to honor our parents. You might be asking why God would want you to honor your parents. Well, He says that because He knows that if we can honor our parents here on earth, then we will be able to honor Him too. Is honoring your parents something that is easy or something that is hard?
• The good news is that even if honoring your parents is something that is really hard, you can start today. This is a great time to encourage your family to say one thing they like about someone else in your family.
• Prayer: God, you are wonderful! Thank you for giving me people who love me so much! God, help me to honor my family so that I can honor you too. Amen.