The halfbaked Bard

Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Eph:6:10 Be strong. Do not fear. Do not be discouraged. Do not lose heart. Be strong against the schemes of the devil. You may seem weak. But the One who is in you is more powerful than the one who is in the world. Put on the full armour and be strong. Isn't it beautiful to think - God with all His might and power could have just annihilated the devil. But what He chooses to do is to enable His power in weaklings like me, to defeat Him. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Image courtesy: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos/strong-hand

The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does. Eph:6:8 A reward is waiting. For every good that you do. Big or small - that will not disappoint you. Because it is given not based on your deeds. But based on the goodness of the Giver. And He is good. This is a conclusion of a series of admonitions from St. Paul. - To wives - submit. - To husbands - love. - To children - obey. - To fathers - do not exasperate. - To slaves - obey. serve. Why will God reward if you do these routine mundane things?  It is because, it is the acronym that we do in this fallen world. Though we are tuned to do this, we are inclined to do the opposite, because we are fallen. So resist. Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith, and there is in store for you the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge will award you on that day. Amen. Image credit : https://davidjeremiah.blog/what-kind-of-rewards-will-believers-receive-in-heaven/

Eph:6:7 Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord. There is no slave - master relation in the present world. But this is all the more relevant for an employer - employee relation. Or a subordinate - boss relation. A resident - HOD or a resident - management relation. Work with sincerity of heart as you would obey Christ. Wholeheartedly as if you were serving Christ. Full effort. For the betterment of the company. Be a pro- company man always. Desiring good for the company / senior / boss. Work as a unit. Not seeking personal benefits. Your sincerity at work is a face of your testimony. Your genuinity is your identity as a child of God. Bosses - treat your subordinates in a way knowing that your master and their master in heaven is the same. They are in no way inferior to you. You are all one in Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us not make it difficult at work. Let us be sincere and wholehearted.  Image courtesy: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/bharat-...

Eph:5:22 - 6:4 Wives submit to your husbands as the church submitted to Christ. Husband's love your wives as Christ loved the church.  Children obey your parents in the Lord  Father's, do not exasperate your children. Unless God is in the centre of your family. There is no hope. You can do all these things without being Christ centred. You can be good parents, good husbands, good wives and good children. But to reach the fullness of the purpose of your life, Christ has to be in the center of all relationships. Pray. Obey the word precisely. Teach and discuss God's word. Family prayer. Family Bible studies. Without these you can definitely be a good family. But will not be the epitome that God has planned. Image courtesy; https://www.shutterstock.com/video/search/family-five-silhouette

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. Eph:5:19 Not everyone is a musician. Oh! I can't sing well. I am not musically oriented as others. My voice is croaky and I can't hit those notes. I don't know how to sing. These are comments we often hear. But God is not looking for a performance or a concert. It is in fact a command to be obeyed - sing and make music in your heart to the Lord - not to singers and musicians alone. But to all. Songs are prayers. Hymns are words of praise. Not that the tune is unimportant. But the words communicate more. V:19 starts with, speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs .   Col:3:19. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. It is a time of pondering the word of Christ. It is an expression of gratitude to God.  It is an act of worship. So even if you are not incli...

Be imitators of God. Eph:5:1 St. Paul lists a few things in the end of chapter 4 and beginning of chapter 5. But summarises everything  in these 4 words. Be imitators of God. Do as God would do. A revival started when a group of people asked. "What would Jesus do?"  Your life would change too, if you would ask the same. That is the purpose for which you have been created; to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. Rom:8:11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead, will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. He will enable, He will equip. For that is His desire. Rom:12:2 Take of any unwholesome talk, any immorality, any coarse talking, greed. Live as children of light and find out what please the Lord. This resurrection day,  let us renew our minds and desire for what God desires. Image credit: https://montessori150.org/taxonomy/term/177