Devotional sheet

Life at Home and Work
Colossians 3:18-4:1

Memory Verses: Colossians 3:23-24

Day 1: Think about it!!
How many of you have ever seen the old show Leave It To Beaver? That was a different time. The clothing was different. The hair styles were different. The cars were different. Everything was different. Family life was also different. It was a time when every kid had two parents that though they did not always like what mom and dad said, they showed respect. Things seemed perfect between husband and wife. Life was not always that way, but in reality, that is what Paul is calling for in our homes- harmony. Rate yourself 1 to 10 on how you get along with each member of your family.
Day 2: Home, Sweet, Home
Paul promotes good family living in Colossians 3:18-21. He begins with the wives when he says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands.” To understand what submit means, first we must understand what it is not. It is not a command for the wife to keep her personality hidden, to act as a robot controlled by the husband, or to act as a doormat. Submit means “to rank under”. What does the sound like? ________________ Why are there ranks in the military? ______________ Imagine if our country went to war, but the soldiers did not know who was in charge. That would be chaotic. Submission is also a picture of Christ’s submitting to the Father’s will.
The command to the husband is to love. The word used here is the same that was used in John 3:16, speaking of an unconditional love of God to us. He adds to that a command for husbands to not be bitter towards their wives. Resentment comes when love is not unconditional. What do you think could cause a husband to be bitter towards his wife? ___________________________________
Day 3: Study it Out
Read these passages and note what they say about the family.
Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7,18-25

Psalm 127

Proverbs 31:10-31

I Corinthians 11:1-12

Ephesians 5:22-6:9

Day 4: Do I Really Have To?
Paul then zeros in on love and discipline in the home. He starts with children. Colossians 3:20 is trying to focus on the motive for obedience. What do you think it is? ________ It is not because you have to do it, but because you want to please God. The duty of the parent is to discipline in a God-honoring way, but the children must obey in the same way. Think of three ways to say honor to your parents today, which in turn brings glory to God’s name.


Day 5: Work, Sweet, Work
Colossians 3:22-4:1 deal with our relationship with authority in the work setting. Remember, Paul was addressing a number of people who were slaves, so no boss is impossible to serve.
According to vs 22, how often should you obey your boss?
Notice that the motivation is again to please God, because of our proper view of Him.
What does vs. 24 say about how we should respond if we do not get the raise or promotion we think we should get?

Day 6: Putting Truth into Action
True/False
1. _____ Colossians 3:18 teaches that woman are inferior to men.
2. _____ Colossians 3:18 teaches that wives should submit to their own husbands.
3. _____ A husband can put his own interest ahead of his wife’s, since he is in charge.
4. _____ Fathers should discipline their children with harshness.
5. _____ Children should obey their parents only if they are good Christians.