JULY 22 – EMPOWERED OR ENSLAVED?

 If you are a servant, obey your earthly master, whether that master is kind or evil. You have only one goal; to honor Jesus Christ. So, don’t serve to gain that master’s approval. Work as God’s servant, doing everything He asks with everything in you. Do it all without resentment – for Jesus; not for any man. (Ephesians 6:5-7)

                  People are valued because they are made in the image of God, and they are highly valued by Him. Slaves are valued for what they do; how much they produce. The Lord God works in and through men and women, giving each one an opportunity to flourish in the work He gives them to do. His only requirement; the basis for His estimate of their value – that they do what He asks with all their heart. That’s how each person becomes fully human.

                   Do you regard your people as mere slaves? Are they quickly evaluated on some basis measuring their contribution to the financial bottom line, and then rated and valued accordingly? Or, do you value and esteem each person as a unique creation of your God? Do you look for the reason God has brought each person to you, and do you pray to discern the proper role for each one in your community.

                   If productivity is the highest priority, people are enslaved. Where people come first they will be empowered and they will flourish.