The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Colossians 3:18-24, “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them.

20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.

21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.

22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;

24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

In the above verses, Paul covers everything that constitutes a family and more. Paul was in prison in AD 61-62, when he wrote the verses above. He then was freed for a short period of time before being imprisoned again in AD 67, when he wrote the first letter to Timothy. What struck my interest is that he named wives first in Colossians; but, in 1 Timothy 2:13, he names Adam before he names Eve.

What’s actually important is the instruction he gives to all five groups. Wives are to obey their husbands, and husbands are to love their wives. Generally speaking, if the husband truly and consistently loves his wife and treats her well, she will lovingly follow his leadership. Children are the products of their parents’ love and they are to be obedient. I suppose we could say that the children’s obedience is something of a “pay-back” to the parents who gave them life. More than that, however, their obedience pleases the LORD; and pleasing the LORD is foremost in everything!

Fathers can sometimes (sometimes?) exasperate their children. Paul doesn’t identify any viable reason behind those exasperations; he just says, “Dads, don’t do it!” Note, too, that he doesn’t call the children’s response “psychological,” he just says that a father’s attitude might cause them to “lose heart.”

(“Awe-oh, here comes dad. He’s always cross when he comes home from work. It won’t do any good

to ask him anything. He never lets us do it!”)

There were slaves everywhere in Paul’s era. Interestingly, neither he nor Jesus ever spoke on the issue of slavery. The word for salve in Greek is doulos. The word carries the idea of his possessing a mind, but always smothering his will and relinquishing his rights in favor of his master. That’s precisely what we are to do! If we yield to the LORD, we will spare ourselves the grief and embarrassment of being wrong. Furthermore, His will is always superior to our own.

Verses 23 and 24 instruct us to work heartily because the work we are doing (whatever it is) is for the LORD! Maybe you hate cutting the grass; but if someone important is coming to your house, you want to do it and do a good job. Just remember that the LORD is always where you are, and He’s watching to see how carefully you are doing your work.

Why does He care? He cares because it is HE whom you are serving! He is Coming Again someday, and He is the One who will distribute your reward. So, do a good job! Always “unto Him!”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”