Men should willingly give thanks “for all things” (Ephesians 5:20), but today's passage teaches a somewhat different truth: men should give thanks “in every thing.” The subtle differences between these two truths turn out to be quite profound. They express two different facets of the Christian's call to give thanks: give thanks to God for all things, but our thanks should take place in the midst of all things, good and bad. This means that we should not simply give God thanks once a certain trial of life has ended, but the thankfulness should take place while these trials are ongoing. Very few believers seem to recognize the importance of giving thanks for trials, but even fewer seem willing to give that thanks during the heat of the trial. Why is this so important? God says that the giving of this thanks, even in the midst of trials, is God’s will for our lives.
Men generally find time to thank God for things which they deem to be good or strictly positive. Yet, the Bible admonishes us to be thankful “for all things.” This means that we should thank God for blessings and trials; for health and sickness; for gain and loss; for peace and troubles. This may seem strange but becomes much more feasible when we understand the truth of Romans 8:28. God takes all things, good and bad, and makes them work together for our good. As such, we ought to be willing to give God thanks “for all things” knowing that He will, in turn, use them for our benefit. Failure to grasp this truth is a failure to trust God's goodness and wisdom. God can and will use even the negative things in your life to help you grow and develop as His child.
God's children are to faithfully follow God. We are to obey His will for our lives and follow the example of His Son. Today's passage provides some insight into the details of this calling. We see that believers are to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2) and avoid sins like fornication and covetousness (Ephesians 5:3). Additionally, believers are to have no part in foolish and inconvenient talking or jesting (Ephesians 5:4). These things are unprofitable and unbecoming to the child of God. Instead, the Lord would rather His people put forth their strength in giving Him thanks (Ephesians 5:4). God does not need His creation to thank Him but knows that a thankful people are the only ones who can truly live spiritual lives. Those who feel like they lack opportunity to give God thanks should cease from the sinful practices that monopolize their time and strength. Focus on God and a thankful spirit will blossom and mature.
The Bible admonishes believers to be stedfast and unmoveable (1 Corinthians 15:58). We are to be grounded and settled (Colossians 1:23) in the faith—much like a tree planted by the rivers of waters (Psalm 1:3). Yet, today's passage points to the dangers of a hardened heart set in rebellion. It is likened to a stone and a millstone. We should remain stedfast in our commitment to serve the Lord, yet our hearts should remain tender and pliable to Him and His will. A stony heart hinders the seed of God’s word from taking root (Matthew 13:5-6). This hardness hinders the possibility of spiritual fruit from taking root and maturing. A soft heart and a stedfast walk exhibit the godly balance that God desires for each of us.
One important aspect of submission to the Lord involves submitting to one another. Grasping this important truth would solve many of the problems in the world, home, and church. The Bible tells us that the younger are supposed to submit to the elder (1 Peter 5:5). Husbands and wives are to submit to each other (Ephesians 5:21-22; Colossians 3:18). Christians are to submit to those who labour in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:16), and those who rule over them (Hebrews 13:17). Instead of fighting for authoritative positions, we should first seek opportunities to submit ourselves to others for the glory of God. A pride-filled heart remains the biggest stumblingblock in the way of full submission.
The Bible reflects the special relationship that should exist between a husband and his wife. The Lord wants us to recognize the importance of this relationship by likening it to the Lord's relationship with His church. Three times the Lord commands the man to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He commanded this because He knew man's biggest problem would be faithfully and unconditionally loving his wife. The Lord was not one-sided in His commandments concerning the marriage relationship. He commanded that the woman in the marriage relationship should obey her husband. Our passage also says that she should reverence him. A woman craves the love of her husband. Likewise, the man needs respect from the woman God gave him. A godly wife will not belittle or humiliate her husband but instead show him respect as the head of their home.
Likely, no mere mortal endured more difficulty over a short period of time than did Job. Job suffered several awful trials with most of them coming simultaneously. Perhaps Job should not be remembered so much for the trials, but for how he handled those trials. When Job received the news that his children had perished, he said, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). The verse which follows Job’s statement conveys volumes, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” Job’s endurance of such trials led the Lord to point to Job as an outstanding example of patience (James 5:11).
No matter where we look we see order and authority. Even God's acts of creation reveal this order. The Bible says that the sun was given to rule the day and the moon to rule the night (Genesis 1:16). The Lord gave priests and prophets to the children of Israel in the Old Testament to lead them and show them His truths. Faithful to His nature, God has also given a level of authority within the church. According to our passage, we are to “obey them that have the rule” over us. On a couple of different occasions, the word rule is used in the job description of a pastor or elder (1 Timothy 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:17). Today's passage also reveals that the man of God watches for the souls of the people and must give an account to God for his watch care. No true God-called leader takes his position lightly.
Living the Christian life is not limited in time or place. In fact, the workplace serves as one of the most important places for a Christian to exemplify a testimony for the Lord Jesus. Yet, Christians can fail miserably by being lazy workers or disobedient to employers. According to scripture, servants are to obey their masters (Titus 2:9) from the heart (Colossians 3:22) with fear and trembling (Ephesians 6:5-6). Not only are Christians responsible to obey godly bosses, but the Bible commands the same respect to be given to those who are froward (1 Peter 2:18). Believers ought to behave beyond the norm in their service in the workplace. The Bible affirms this truth by saying that servants should “please” their masters well in all things (Titus 2:9). Many lost people have been led to Christ by Christians who live godly and display an impeccable testimony at work.
The home was God's first institution. God gave specific instructions on how the home was to be ordered. In any home dedicated to God's service, each individual has a responsibility to be accountable in the area of obedience. First and foremost, a father or husband is to be obedient to the headship of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3). Second, the mother or wife is accountable to submit to the authority of her husband (Genesis 3:16; Ephesians 5:22; Colossians 3:18; Titus 2:4-5). Lastly, the children are to obey their parents in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20). The home failing to follow God’s plan could possibly have some limited success but will ultimately experience great difficulties. Yet, God will faithfully bless the Christian home where each member submits to his or her God-given authorities.
