Scripture Reading…Ephesians 6:1-20
Devotion
It has always been interesting to me (Steve) that Ephesians 6 begins by talking about the family and ends with the call to put on the armor of God. And while Paul certainly has in mind his entire letter when he calls them to strength and the putting on this heavenly armor, his plea to the family is included in that call. That means that the family too wrestles against cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. That is why connection to the family is so critical.
Think about those flight attendants before take-off…in case of a loss of cabin pressure…put on your mask and then help your children with theirs. That is good advice for the family as well. We put on the armor of God and then our job is to help our family put it on as well. In fact, did you know that some of this armor could only be put on with help?
Everyday can be a battle. Prepare for it. Don’t get caught off guard. Take up that shield of faith, wield that sword of the Spirit, and STAND up for your family. One last thing, all of this armor we read about in Ephesians 6 protects the front of a solider, but there is nothing protecting the back side…why? Two reasons… (1) Soldiers fought back-to-back with fellow soldiers, so the back was rarely exposed and (2) even more importantly, God’s got your back! He is calling us forward in our families, forward in our faith, and forward in our fight against the evil one. We don’t turn and run; we march forward to victory!! Commit today to connect or re-connect with your family. If forgiveness needs to be offered, then take that step forward for your family, even if you did nothing wrong. If you need to be the peacemaker, then move forward fighting for peace in your family. Life can be difficult, it regularly throws curve balls at us and that is one big reason God gave us family in the first place, so fight for it!
CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY
Walk at least one mile today.
Respond to the online community.
Make a phone call, if possible, to mom or dad, grandma or grandpa, brother or sister, your child who is no longer at home, etc. If you are blessed to still have kids at home…spend some quality time with them today. Sit around the dinner table, go out and grab something to eat, turn off the phones, have a game night, it could be a thousand things but commit to it tonight!
Connecting with family with a road trip!
Paul is bringing forward things that all the people of that era would be familiar with; similar to how people today recognize soldiers by their helmets, the digital camo, the ‘wrong facing‘ flags, and everything else. Paul is taking these things that were known and even feared and he’s turned them into something that believers can take and turn into something that is a positive.
paul reminds us how important it is be be on guard, AND to not face a challenge alone if we can help it.
I am so glad that God has my back as I try to lead my family. I am a flawed Father, our God is NOT.