Series: Jesus Manifesto
Message: Getting Relationships in Order
Preacher: Tony Hunter
Reflection: Japhet De Oliveira
Live Wonder: Zan Long
Live Adventure: Zan Long
Live Beyond: J. Murdock
Live Purpose: Lydia Svoboda
Editor: Becky De Oliveira
Refresh: Begin with prayer. Ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart to new understanding and for God’s character to be revealed.
Read: Colossians 3:18-4:1 in the New Testament for Everyone (NTE). Note 1–3 insights or questions.
Reflect: Following Jesus, knowing Jesus, and accepting Jesus changes the way we interact with each other, and only for the better.
Left or right, first or second, A or B, options are always before us. My choir conductor in college told us the story of a man who came to crossroad and did not know if he should go left or right. He threw his walking cane into the air and it landed pointing to the left. He was not sure about the accuracy of this sign, so he threw the cane again—and again it landed pointing to the left. Just to make sure, however, he thought he should try this one more time. This time, the walking cane landed pointing to the right. He took this as a sign that he was to turn right.
When we read this text, we can allow ourselves to see the text for what it is trying to do or we can superimpose our preconceived ideas on it and bend it to our will. That is how this text has often been used, with these other choice texts: Ephesians 5:21–6:9, 1 Timothy 5:1–6:2, Titus 2:1-10, and 1 Peter 3:1-7. These have been used to uphold male chauvinism, racism, and abuse—all characteristics in contradiction to the very nature of God. How could the Apostle Paul, who knew and loved Jesus, even consider suggesting ideas along those lines? Paul, who was originally an oppressor of human beings, was saved by Jesus and had his life turned around. Would he even suggest oppressing anyone? I don’t know if you have ever been misunderstood by anyone, but I have found that in the world of texting and emailing, it is very easy to get two or three layers deep and suddenly realize you are conversing at cross purposes. A phone call or face-to-face meeting resolves the confusion. How much more true is this likely to be with reading the writings of Paul—with 2,000 years of time, along with a different culture and a history of misapplication standing between us. When we see a snippet of text we need to remember that accepting Jesus should only mean we treat each other better, never worse.
Recalibrate: What pre-drawn conclusions have you had to recalibrate over time?
Respond: Ask Jesus for the humility to start afresh with people who know you well.
Research: Read the other passages mentioned in the Daily Walk in their contexts today.
Remember: “In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23, ICB).
Japhet De Oliveira is administrative director for the Center for Mission and Culture at Adventist Health in Roseville, California.
Play a game of Copycat with your child. Say the word “jump” and then jump. See if your child jumps with you. Say the word “hop” then hop and see if your child can hop with you. Say the word “laugh” then laugh and see if your child laughs with you. Swap roles and see if your child is able to lead and you follow. Lead in love today. Read Because I Love You with your child and put those words into action in your context. Because Jesus loves us He has shown us how to put others first. This lesson is best learned very young. Let's choose to be the kind of grown ups that speak love and bring love wherever we are, in Jesus name.
Have you ever been in a group of friends where teasing each other was how you played? One kid says something mean and then the next kid says something meaner and it ends up being a big mean competition. Jesus has shown us a new way to play. Paul tells us to work or play as if we were playing with or working for our Heavenly Father. Imagine that. Imagine that your playmates are Jesus. Would that change how you play?
When I think of the word “slavery,” I think first about a time in America where it was considered acceptable to possess people who were shipped over from Africa. This was a horrible time in history and something that our nation is still recovering from today. But slavery is not just a reference to something in the past that we look back on. In fact, you can be a slave today and not even be aware of it.
Slavery is defined as a conditions that restricts your freedom. Think back to my story yesterday when I told you about those bullies that picked on me. In some ways, I was a slave to their judgment because I allowed it to define who I was and often it kept me from reaching my potential. Because their words held so much weight in my world, I was a slave to whatever they told me to do, even when I didn’t agree with them. When they told me to do something demeaning, I wanted to fight back and do something to them in return that would make them feel as bad as they made me feel. In a lot of ways, I think they would have deserved it.
Paul tackles this concept in Colossians 3:22-23 when he tells slaves to obey their earthly masters, not only when they are looking in order to please them, but also when they are not looking. That’s a tough lesson for Paul to teach, seeing as humans are not meant to be slaves to other humans. We were meant to be free people. But here, Paul is saying that people are built to be helpers to the world and to one another. And whether or not it is the right thing to do, if we change our frame of mind and decide that we are serving the Lord, we can manage to deal with the temporary things in life; like taking punishment from the bullies who torment you.
No, it’s not right what they do to you. And no, you shouldn’t continue to put yourself in a place where you can be bullied. But when we decide that because we are being bullied they deserve to be bullied in return, and we desire to make them slaves to our retaliation, then we are walking in the wrong direction. Instead, Paul calls us to think about the true meaning of life. And it isn’t about being right in the arguments we get into today. It’s about spending more time with Jesus in order to show His love for us to the world around us. It’s a tough lesson to learn and a bitter pill to swallow, but Paul is calling us to a higher way of thinking.
How do you feel about Paul’s call to have slaves obey their masters? How can you apply this to your own life? How might God be calling on you to rise above the things that hold us down and take away our freedom?
“Parents, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21). Parents are to practice patience with their children so that their children have the capacity to learn and grow. Exasperation puts pressure on children and brings about discouragement. Parents may also do well to remember the words of Jesus: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).
Zan Long is GRC director for faith development for ages 0-17. She lives in Sydney, Australia, and serves at her local church in nearby Kellyville.
J. Murdock is associate pastor at Boulder Adventist Church in Boulder, Colorado, where he focuses on youth and young adult ministry.
Lydia Svoboda is a junior theology major at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska.