CAN’T SAY ENOUGH July 18, 2020

This has been a rather long day, but it was also very encouraging and uplifting.  As usual, during weekly grocery runs, we hear songs of praise and worship on the supermarket sound system.  Then in the afternoons, I joined and viewed online meetings on the closing ceremonies of Accountancy Week first with the National Federation, then the Cebu Chapter, then much later in the afternoon, an online talk from Husband-and-Wife Pastors on how to properly look at the situation the world is in now from a godly perspective, and how to manage everyday life with it, from a Biblical point of view.

I must admit, attending webinars and online meetings and forums can be fun and very convenient.  We can view the same, and at the same time, do other tasks besides, although the latter shouldn’t be done during official online work meetings, if the one on the other screen is your boss.

Anyway, what I realized from the things I heard today is that there is really no cause for despair, no matter the difficulties and challenges we may all go through, because there is always hope, and even if they are physically far from us, there is always a community, a non-blood related family we all belong to, and who are equally concerned about our wellbeing.  That is why, it is sad to learn that a well-known successful Japanese actor committed suicide today at the age of 30.

It’s hard to accept that such young person, and many others who were actually younger than him who did the same, could lose such hope early on, that they had to take their own life.  One wonders where the problem lies.  We could not say if it was from family, career or relationships.  One can only hope and pray that for those who are feeling down and depressed, there is a chance to reach out to them and make them know that there are people who care about them, and who are very much willing to help them and support them with whatever they are going through.

But I believe such support system really does start with the smallest unit in society—the family.  And that is why, the Word today in Ephesians 6, the first four verses are a favorite passage during children’s Sunday school classes.  We learn that obedience and honoring or respecting our parents and elders are the basic ingredients to having a long and truly successful life.  But the fourth verse does set the foundation—where fathers (and mothers too) not provoke their children to wrath, meaning that they should not overly reprimand their children or abuse them, so that their mental and psychological state remain healthy, and they grow to be proper-minded, mature and psychologically balanced individuals.  The second part of the fourth verse lays down the parents’ ultimate responsibility: “…but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”  This is not the carrot-and-the-stick, but nurturing (feeding the basic and supplementing with more) and admonition (instruction, responsible, reasonable teaching and discipline).

Verses 5 to 9 are often quoted during bible studies dealing with work and career.  In it we are reminded to faithfully obey our superiors and masters, even when they are not looking at us.  We are reminded to be faithful and trustworthy in our work, and not be flatterers or “men-pleasers”, because even if the business owner pays us our salary, indeed our true master is GOD Himself.  Bosses and masters are also told to treat their employees and subordinates well, as equals who help them achieve the goals of the organization, and realizing that they too have GOD as their real master.  This is not the master-slave situation, but the apostle Paul is teaching us that in work and in any way we earn a living, it should be a symbiotic, partnership or team-based relationship.

Then in verses 10 to 18, the apostle laid down the real purpose why familial and work relationships must be strengthened and managed well: because every day we battle against an invisible enemy, one that is so powerful that it rules over the world, and one that can kill not just our bodies but our souls.  And so we have to put on “The Full Armor” of GOD: first, being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, not by our own strength and power; second, the girdle of truth; third, the breastplate of righteousness; fourth, the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace; fifth, the shield of faith; sixth, the helmet of salvation; seventh, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of GOD.  Our ammunition is prayer, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, “.  And our communication and monitoring system is to, “watch(ing) with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (GOD’s people),” meaning, we should look out for each other.

In the last 5 verses, the apostle went on to ask that he be prayed for, being an ambassador in chains.  He also said that he is sending Tychicus, to apprise the brethren how he is doing, and to comfort them.  He then closed the epistle with a blessing on all GOD’s people.

Here we know that human life is essentially one long process of obedience and readiness for battle.  The battle is not just for our health, our bodies, our resources or our nations, but for our minds and spirits.  And we get to prepare for this battle by starting in the home.  Our home is where our minds are molded, and our characters are built up.  If we fail to follow and not be able to put on the things mentioned above as part of our armor, any little dart or attack by the enemy could weaken us or make us lose self-esteem.  And that will be the death of our souls and our spirits.  Let it not happen to us.  The last part of the chapter tells us how we can be encouraged in spite of the attacks of the enemy, and even when we feel that our armor is getting rusted or broken.  We turn to GOD’s ordained shepherds and our brethren in the faith because they can both encourage us and we can also encourage them.  Like a master and a servant that does not operate on a system of slavery, we grow and increase in hope and knowledge if we work in partnership in a symbiotic relationship with each other.

In these trying times and even in more challenging times ahead, doing our best to encourage and being encouraged, keeping our faith well, and strengthening our minds and spirits will always be the sure way for us to survive.  And we really can’t say enough of that because it will take us to the last dying breath and beyond.