Ephesians Chatper 5 Walk in the New Life Part 3 Roles in Life - Discussion

Reference: Eph 5:21-6:9

The Hebrew word for Worship and Work is the same word Avodah. 
Our work is our worship to God. Our worship to God is much much more than the singing of worship songs in Sunday services or even attending Sunday Worship services. True worship to God is expressed in the way we lead our lives on earth.

The are three main relationships in our lives where we expressed our worship to God where others could clearly see our true worship. Anyone can act holy and worshipful in Sunday Worship singing. But our spouses, our parents or children, and our bosses or colleagues are the ones that can see our true colors - what God really means to us.

Here Paul clearly lay down the ways of worship to God in our these 3 relationships. Interesting, first 2 relates to family and the third relates to our career or work life. The order is also interesting. You must first have husband and wife, then you have parents and children. After family then comes your career. Chinese has a saying, "成家立业" , we start a family and then build your career. Becoming a parent has a important influence in the way you build your career.

All the relationship principles come under the greater will of God (Eph 5:21 in the fear of God, 5:22, 6:7 as unto the Lord). So a wife need not submit to her husband's command to do things against the will of God. However, a wife cannot use the husband failure in one area, e.g getting drunk, and not fulfill her duty like cooking a dinner for him. Under abuse, the wife has the right to report the police and seek protection. Nevertheless, it is important that the wife must help her husband to make wise decisions, giving him the possible scenarios and factors that her husband did not consider. A wise wife respects and help build her husband to be a confident and successful decision maker.

The key tag-lines for the relationships are:

• wife respects and husband loves.
  All doing their part concurrently. It is 100% covenant. Each part do 100% irrespective of whether the other does his/her part.
  2Ti 2:13  if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. 
• children honor and parent nurture.
  Children honor their parents by being obedient and respectful. Parent nurture by guiding and helping their children to make wise decisions - internalizing the values of God. Parent provoke children by forcing them do their parent's will against the theirs without explaining and gaining their children understanding of the parent's will. The parent must be able get the child willing submission, at least, if the child could not understand fully, has the trust in his/her parent decision that it is good for him/her.
• employees and bosses serves one another with their hearts.
  Employees works from the hearts as unto Christ. Bosses lead by serving them as unto the Christ too. Leader leads for the goodness of the body. Followers obeyed willingly for the interests of the body. Leaders take the initiatives to resolve problems of insubmissiveness by extending his service. This servant leadership is explained well by Jesus in the gospels.