Today’s devotion invites us into a caring relationship with others
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Scripture: Ephesians 5:21
Subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
The small ruler
Relationships work best when someone wins, controls, or gets their way.
The grace I receive
Christ teaches me to use strength for love, service, dignity, and mutual good.
Reflection
Some of the words that follow Ephesians 5:21 have been used badly.
Paul writes about wives and husbands, children and parents, servants and masters. In different times and places, these verses have been used to tell one person that God requires them to submit to another person’s control.
That cannot be separated from what Paul says first: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Christ is the head.
Power belongs to Him.
When we claim power in order to make ourselves more important than another person, we are no longer expressing the power of Christ. We have returned to personal ambition, pride, and the world’s way of arranging people according to rank.
Grace changes power.
Jesus did not need to diminish people in order to show His strength. He often revealed what was already happening within them. He restored dignity. He served. He told the truth. He refused to be controlled by the expectations of others.
Mutual submission means that the relationship is no longer organized around getting my way.
We ask what is good for us, not merely what is good for me.
That requires humility, but it also requires strength.
Christlike self-giving does not mean erasing yourself. It does not mean remaining under abuse, coercion, or another person’s attempt to dominate you. Anyone who uses power to diminish the image of God within you is not exercising Christ’s power.
Our first allegiance remains with Christ.
That matters in marriage. It matters between parents and children. It matters in churches, workplaces, friendships, and every relationship where one person has authority or influence.
Love refuses to dominate the image of God in another person.
It also refuses to surrender that image within ourselves to someone else’s domination.
We are not depleting our own power when we love this way.
We are allowing Christ’s power to move through us.
That source does not run dry.
A prayer of presence
Christ,
You are the head of my life and the source of whatever strength I carry. Keep me from using power to control another person or surrendering the dignity You have placed within me. Teach me the strength of mutual care. Let love shape how I use whatever influence You have entrusted to me.
– Amen
A practice of grace
Think about one close relationship. Ask yourself, “Am I trying to control the outcome, or am I seeking what is good for both of us?” Notice what changes when Christ, rather than winning, becomes the center.
Consider this…
How would one of my closest relationships change if power were measured by love rather than control?
Carry this prayer with you today
Breathe in: Christ is my source...
Breathe out: ... I use His strength to love
Continue the journey
If this devotion helped you pause, breathe, and receive your place in the love of Christ today, you are invited to continue walking through the full Love Beyond Measure 31-day series.
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Which line from today’s devotion are you carrying with you? You are welcome to share it in the comments.