All of Paul’s advice about relationships flows from his initial exhortation: “Submit to one another.” He means that we should serve one another’s needs and respect one another’s roles. He applies this to the three primary relationships of the average first century household: to the husband-wife relationship, to the parent-child relationship and to the master-slave relationship. I will address the latter in more depth when we come to the book of Philemon, suffice it to say now that what Paul says here though can be applied to employees in any context. He tells us to serve wholeheartedly, not doing just enough to fulfil our obligations, but working to be a blessing to our employers. This will certainly make you stand out in an opportunistic, self-focused, culture. Another thing that will stand out is children honouring parents. The two ingredients needed to help children adopt a right attitude toward their parents are love and discipline. Paul exhorts parents not to exasperate their children. If discipline comes from mere anger and frustration, then nothing constructive will ensue. Discipline should be a tool of love used to guide our children toward better choices. It is about helping them to understand the consequences of bad choices. If you are an adult, it is never too late to honour your parents. Continue to share your life with your parents, express your love for them and, as they get older, look after them. It is, moreover, never too late to build good relationships with parents if those relationships have deteriorated. There are few things that are more important than this for your own spiritual health.
Reflect on the state of your various relationships and ask God to help you build into these relationships.
Read Ephesians 6:1-9
