Ephesians 6:1-8: a reflection

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with a promise: 3“that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” 4You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ, 6not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men, 8knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same good again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.

As Paul instructs servants in their work, he lifts ordinary daily labor onto a higher plane. Do your work, he says, not only when eyes are on you, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men. The ordinary work of daily life, done faithfully and from the heart, is to be offered as service to Christ himself, not merely to human masters or for human approval.

Notice the reframing of ordinary work: it is service rendered to the Lord. Paul tells servants not to work merely to be seen by people, or only to please human masters, but to do their work from the heart as service to Christ. The same daily labor, done not for human eyes but as unto the Lord, becomes an offering to Christ; and Paul adds that the Lord himself will reward the good that each one does. Our ordinary work, done faithfully and from the heart, is service offered to Christ, seen and rewarded by him.

That reframing lifts our ordinary work, which can feel merely mundane or done only for human eyes. We can do our daily work grudgingly, or only to be seen and approved by people, or as though it had no higher meaning; but Paul says it can be offered as service to Christ himself, done from the heart as unto the Lord. Consider that your ordinary work, done faithfully and from the heart, can be an offering of service to Christ, not merely labor for human eyes or approval. Do your work, whatever it is, as unto the Lord, from the heart, not only to be seen or to please people; the same task becomes service to Christ when offered to him. Let even your ordinary, daily work be done as service to the Lord, faithfully and from the heart, remembering that Christ himself sees and will reward the good you do, so that your labor, however mundane, is offered to him and not merely to human eyes, as Paul urged servants to serve as to the Lord and not to men.

Lord, as Paul instructs servants in their work, he lifts ordinary daily labor onto a higher plane: do your work not only when eyes are on you, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men. The ordinary work of daily life, done faithfully and from the heart, is to be offered as service to you yourself, not merely to human masters or for human approval. Show me the reframing of ordinary work: it is service rendered to you. Paul tells servants not to work merely to be seen, or only to please human masters, but to do their work from the heart as service to you. The same daily labor, done as unto you, becomes an offering; and you yourself will reward the good that each one does. My ordinary work, done faithfully and from the heart, is service offered to you, seen and rewarded by you. That reframing lifts my ordinary work, which can feel merely mundane or done only for human eyes. I can do my daily work grudgingly, or only to be seen and approved by people, or as though it had no higher meaning; but Paul says it can be offered as service to you, done from the heart. Help me consider that my ordinary work, done faithfully, can be an offering of service to you. Help me do my work, whatever it is, as unto you, Lord, from the heart, not only to be seen or to please people, remembering that you see and will reward the good I do.