Being Responsible

Let me review some of these categories real quickly with you. Beginning with verse 17, we read in Colossians 3, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. So do it under Jesus’ authority. Then he starts breaking it down. Wives, be subject to your own husbands as is fitting to the Lord. Okay, now I know I’m tiptoeing on some sensitive areas here. If you as a wife are out of alignment with your husband’s legitimate authority, if he were legitimate, then you are out of alignment with God.

And if you’re out of alignment with your husband’s legitimate authority, and therefore out of alignment with God, you cannot then go and ask God for help. He goes on. He says, Husbands, love your wives. Do not be embittered against them. You don’t get to cuss at your wife. You don’t get to be abusive, whether verbally or physically or attitudinally. You don’t get to be neglectful. You don’t get to be obstinate. You don’t get to do this, because once you operate outside of God, he won’t hear your prayers. First Peter 3 verse 7 says, Husbands, treat your wives with equal honor so your prayers are not hindered.

So many a man who get on their knees is wasting his time because he wants to be over without willing to be under. Woman, you submit to me while I submit to nobody. Nobody is going to tell me what to do. But I’m going to tell you what to do. The reason why she’s a rebel is she’s following a rebel. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11-3, every man is to be under Christ’s authority. You do not get to be a totally independent male. You are underneath authority, the Bible says. And if Jesus, the man of all men, had to be under his father’s authority, what makes a man think that he can be independent of Jesus’ authority? That makes you a male rebel.

It says, let not that man think he will receive anything from the Lord. God’s not going to listen to your prayer. And no, he’s not going to change your woman. Because you are in a rebellion. I am in rebellion when we do not take this biblical posture. He goes on and says, children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. The reason why you should teach your children to obey is not just because you’re their parents. Of course, they should because you’re their parent, but because they want to make God happy.

Because when they make God happy, God will even answer their prayers. Because they have come under the legitimate authority, not wrong authority, but legitimate authority of their parents. In fact, when Ephesians talks about this, he says, and tell the children this will help to enable them to live long on the earth. In other words, God will so honour coming under the legitimate authority of a parent that God will make sure you don’t die early. That’s how. So when you tell your kids, obey me, I want you to obey me because I’m your father, but I also want to obey you so the Lord can give you all your days.

And you don’t die ahead of time. So obedience is tied to a child’s alignment. Then he comes to parents. He says in verse 21, fathers do not exacerbate your children so that they will lose heart. That’s a parent. The reason why he says fathers, by the way, is in the Bible, men. Men are supposed to raise the children, not the women. Okay, I am not talking about you. I’m talking about the culture. I’m talking about the Bible. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4 says, fathers raise your children. All the time it’s the father who raises the children.

Well, you say, well, what’s the woman supposed to do? One word, help. She’s supposed to fill in the gaps when you can’t. But God holds you responsible for the home. You can’t be talking about I’m the king of this house. And all you do is sleep there. You are responsible for the spiritual imprint of your children. You are responsible for the discipline of your children. You are responsible. Yes, she fills in the gap when you can’t. But we have a generation today where daddy is not home or he might as well not be home because he doesn’t have this responsibility.

He says, do not exasperate your children, but you are to influence them because this is your responsibility as lined up under God. He says in Genesis 1819, Abraham raises your children in righteousness and justice. It’s always the father’s responsibility. But today we live in a day of male abandonment of the responsibility. And so we have a generation of kids running wild. This is your responsibility. Your responsibility is not first to be happy. Your responsibility first is to be responsible. Slaves in all things, verse 22 says, obey those who are your masters on earth. We would say today, employees, obey your employers, not with external service or as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

Thank you for joining us in this exploration of being responsible. Until next time, remember to keep the faith. Stay strong and continue to shine your light in the world. To hear these daily devotions of your daily bread, please log on to goddessgovernment.com. Goodbye, and may your faith always lead the way. [tr:trw].