Category Archives: 10 – Ephesians
Instructions for Christian Marriage
Daily Bible Reading - Ephesians 5,6; Psalm 119:1-80
Today’s Key Passage – Ephesians 5:22-33
Submitting to another person is often a misunderstood concept. In the past, some people have taken today’s key passage out of context or misused it, causing the idea of submission to take on a negative connotation. There is no denying that Paul indeed said that wives should submit to their husbands as the head of the household. (5:22-23) However, the part of this passage that is often forgotten about is the instructions Paul gives to husbands. Marriage is a two way street. Both parties have to submit to each other in different ways to make a marriage work and to keep both people happy. Taking one of these instructions out of context while dismissing the other causes more harm than good. For example, if a wife submits to her husband, but the husband is not loving his wife as he loves himself and is not putting her first above all of his needs, the marriage is going to have problems. Likewise, if the husband is putting his wife first in everything he does and truly loving her every single day but the wife is not allowing him to be the spiritual head of the household, the marriage is going to have problems. Paul is telling us that both of these things should happen in a happy marriage. Men should take on the responsibility of being the spiritual leader in the home. Husbands should be helping their wives in their walk with Christ, and wives should allow their husbands to take on this role and to follow him. Husbands should also love and serve their wives above everything else. Just as Jesus washed the feet of the disciples in an act of service to them, so should the husband serve the wife. If both people in the marriage relationship are submitting to one another in these ways, then the idea of submission is not negative at all. Submitting to one another is simply an act of love.
Think back over the times of strife in your marriage. If you are anything like me, most arguments and moments of division can be traced back to either the husband or the wife or both failing to submit to the other person. For the wives who are reading this, allow your husbands to lead and submit to them. For the husbands who are reading this, remember that you have died to yourself and you now live for your wife. Put her needs first in everything that you do. Make her the center of your universe and serve her as you would serve the Lord. You must take on the responsibility of being the spiritual leader in the home and ensuring that your household is serving Christ and living for Him. To both husbands and wives, remember that submission is not a bad thing. Submit to each other in a loving environment and watch as your marriage gets stronger as the two of you walk together with Jesus Christ.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Dealing with Anger
Daily Bible Reading - Ephesians 1-4
Today’s Key Passage – Ephesians 4:25-32
Everyone gets angry. Events unfold that make us feel anger. People say things to us or about us that make us feel anger. Feeling angry at some degree or another is basically unavoidable, but how we deal with that anger is what really defines us. When it comes to dealing with anger, we have a few different paths we can take. We can let the anger overtake us causing us to explode in a fit of emotion. Obviously, this is not the way to go. We can sit on our anger and bottle it up inside, which will lead to bitterness. This bitterness will eventually lead to hatred if gone unchecked. This too, is not the way to go. Paul tells us in today’s key passage that the best way to effectively deal with anger is to deal with it immediately in a way that builds relationships instead of breaking them. When someone makes you feel anger, do not blow up at them and say things you do not really mean to hurt them. Do not just walk away from the situation stewing with anger, as this bitterness will eventually start to wear you down. The best course of action is to talk to the person that caused you anger immediately. Explain the situation IN LOVE. Express how you feel about the situation without allowing the situation to escalate. Try to find some common ground with the person, and try to find a way to alleviate the anger.
Of course, all of this is much easier said than done. So how do we really accomplish all of this? Practically speaking, how can we begin to start dealing with our anger in a healthy way instead of a harmful way? Like everything else in this life, the answer is found in Jesus Christ. At the first feelings of anger towards a person, immediately remind yourself that God made this person exactly as he is. Remind yourself that God loves this person exactly as much as He loves you. Remind yourself that this person is one of God’s children…just as you are. In addition, remember that God has forgiven everything you have ever done. By His grace, he has forgiven and forgotten all of your past indiscretions regardless of what they were. He does not hold a grudge against you. If He is able to forgive you for the worst thing you have ever done through His Son Jesus Christ, surely the least you can do is forgive this person for what he did. Pray for God to help you to forgive this person, and to help you feel love for this person. Finally, talk to the person calmly about the situation. These practical steps have helped me start to deal with anger in a much more productive way. For me, it becomes a lot harder to be angry with someone after I go through these steps above. When I think of Christ first, the severity of the situation always begins to decrease and my anger goes along with it. I pray that you will try these things the next time anger arises in your life, and I hope that in those situations you can find the strength to be a peacemaker.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Putting on the Full Armor of God
Daily Bible Reading – Song of Songs 1-4; Ephesians 6
Today’s Key Passage – Ephesians 6:10-18 - CLICK HERE to read the key passage
Can you imagine a medieval knight jousting without wearing his suit of armor? Can you imagine a football player trying to play a game without pads? Can you imagine a hockey goalie trying to play a game without protective gear? Each of these scenarios sounds fairly ridiculous. In each case, it is essential to the health and success of the person involved to use the “armor” that is available. Likewise, as we walk the Christian life, it is essential for us to use the “armor” that is available to us – the armor of God. In today’s key passage, the apostle Paul describes the armor that we have available as we go into battle against the powers of evil in this world. Today, let’s take a look at the armor that each of us has available to us:
The belt of truth – Satan often tries to attack us with lies, and sometimes we can all be fooled into thinking that these lies are true. When we have the truth of God’s Word to guide us, we can realize the difference between the lies and the truth and can remain strong.
The breastplate of righteousness – The enemy often tries to attack our hearts, but the righteousness that comes from God protects our hearts from these attacks. God has made us righteous not by our own actions but by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. In this righteousness, we are guaranteed God’s approval.
The shoes of readiness – Satan wants us to believe that spreading the Gospel is too hard. He wants us to think we are not good enough to talk to other people about Christ. He wants us to think we do not know enough, or that we do not have the right personality. The shoes of readiness that God provides us gives us the motivation to spread the Gospel to others.
The shield of faith – We are often attacked by “the flaming arrows of the evil one”. (Vs. 16) These arrows can take the form of doubts, persecution, and temptations. Without a shield, these arrows would sink into our flesh and kill us. Fortunately, we have the shield of our faith in God. We know His promises for us, and we know that He never leaves us or forsakes us. This shield of our faith allows us to see past our current circumstances to an eternal reward.
The helmet of salvation – The enemy will try to attack our minds. He will try to make us doubt God. He will try to make us doubt ourselves. The helmet of salvation protects our minds from these attacks, and shows us that despite his lies, we are truly saved by God’s unfailing grace through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The sword of the Word of God – All of the other pieces of armor are defensive in nature, but the sword is an offensive weapon. By learning and knowing God’s Word, we can use this “sword” to defeat temptations. We can use this “sword” to attack the forces of evil. We can use this “sword” to gain victory.
Do not underestimate the power of the evil forces in this world. When we turn to God for salvation, we become an enemy to Satan and his forces. If we are making a difference for God, we are guaranteed to face attacks by these forces. Be sure to put on the full armor of God so you will be prepared for these attacks. Rely on God’s power to help you through any situation. Rely on His armor to protect you from any attack.
Can you think of any other lessons we can learn from today’s key passage? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Instructions for Christian Marriage
Daily Bible Reading – Ephesians 5,6; Psalm 119:1-80
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-33)
Submitting to another person is often a misunderstood concept. In the past, some people have taken this section of Scripture out of context or misused it, causing the idea of submission to take on a negative connotation. There is no denying that Paul indeed said that wives should submit to their husbands as the head of the household. However, the part of this section that is often forgotten about is the instructions Paul gives to husbands. Marriage is a two way street. Both parties have to submit to each other in different ways to make a marriage work and to keep both people happy. Taking one of these instructions out of context while dismissing the other causes more harm than good. For example, if a wife submits to her husband, but the husband is not loving his wife as he loves himself and is not putting her first above all of his needs, the marriage is going to have problems. Likewise, if the husband is putting his wife first in everything he does and truly loving her every single day but the wife is not allowing him to be the spiritual head of the household, the marriage is going to have problems. Paul is telling us in this Scripture that both of these things should happen in a happy marriage. Men should take on the responsibility of being the spiritual leader in the home. Husbands should be helping their wives in their walk with Christ, and wives should allow their husbands to take on this role and to follow him. Husbands should also love and serve their wives above everything else. Just as Jesus washed the feet of the disciples in an act of service to them, so should the husband serve the wife. If both people in the marriage relationship are submitting to one another in these ways, then the idea of submission is not negative at all. Submitting to one another is simply an act of love.
Think back over the times of strife in your marriage. If you are anything like me, most arguments and moments of division can be traced back to either the husband or the wife or both failing to submit to the other person. For the wives who are reading this, allow your husbands to lead and submit to them. For the husbands who are reading this, remember that you have died to yourself and you now live for your wife. Put her needs first in everything that you do. Make her the center of your universe and serve her as you would serve the Lord. You must take on the responsibility of being the spiritual leader in the home and ensuring that your household is serving Christ and living for Him. To both husbands and wives, remember that submission is not a bad thing. Submit to each other in a loving environment and watch as your marriage gets stronger as the two of you walk together with Jesus Christ.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
If you like this post, please press the SHARE button below to spread the Word of God.
What do you think about today’s post? Please post your comments below – I would love to hear what you think…
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Dealing with Anger
Daily Bible Reading – Ephesians 1-4
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:25-32)
Everyone gets angry. Events unfold that make us feel anger. People say things to us or about us that make us feel anger. Feeling angry at some degree or another is basically unavoidable. But how we deal with that anger is what really defines us. When it comes to dealing with anger, we have a few different paths we can take. We can let the anger overtake us causing us to explode in a fit of emotion. Obviously, this is not the way to go. We can sit on our anger and bottle it up inside, which will lead to bitterness. This bitterness will eventually lead to hatred if gone unchecked. This too, is not the way to go. Paul tells us in the verse above that the best way to effectively deal with anger is to deal with it immediately in a way that builds relationships instead of breaking them. When someone makes you feel anger, do not blow up at them and say things you do not really mean to hurt them. Do not just walk away from the situation stewing with anger, as this bitterness will eventually start to wear you down. The best course of action is to talk to the person that caused you anger immediately. Explain the situation IN LOVE. Express how you feel about the situation without allowing the situation to escalate. Try to find some common ground with the person, and try to find a way to alleviate the anger.
Of course, all of this is much easier said than done. So how do we really accomplish all of this? Practically speaking, how can we begin to start dealing with our anger in a healthy way instead of a harmful way. Like everything else in this life, the answer is found in Jesus Christ. At the first feelings of anger towards a person, immediately remind yourself that God made this person exactly as he is. Remind yourself that God loves this person exactly as much as He loves you. Remind yourself that this person is one of God’s children…just like you are. Secondly, remember that God has forgiven everything you have ever done. By His grace, he has forgiven and forgotten all of your past indiscretions regardless of what they were. He does not hold a grudge against you. If He is able to forgive you for the worst thing you have ever done through His Son Jesus Christ, surely the least you can do is forgive this person for what he did. Pray for God to help you to forgive this person, and to help you feel love for this person. Finally, talk to the person calmly about the situation. These practical steps have helped me start to deal with anger in a much more productive way. For me, it becomes a lot harder to be angry with someone after I go through these steps above. When I think of Christ first, the severity of the situation always begins to decrease and my anger goes along with it. I pray that you will try these things the next time anger arises in your life, and I hope that in those situations you can find the strength to be a peacemaker.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
If you like this post, please press the SHARE button below to spread the Word of God.
What do you think about today’s post? Please post your comments below – I would love to hear what you think…
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
