“With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Ephesians 6:7).

That was originally directed to servants. Slaves, back then.

This morning it was directed to me, even though I’m self-employed. So I have no boss, foreman, or manager.

Nevertheless, I’m still a servant to my customers.

If you are one of my customers, know that I have tried to serve you faithfully. We package carefully. We double-check orders. I try to be easy to deal with on returns, refunds, order changes, cancelations, and so forth.

But . . . .

I have scores (hundreds, actually) of customer emails that have gone unanswered. I have tried to stay on top. I have tried to catch up. But not hard enough and not faithfully enough.

After reading Ephesians 6:5-8 this morning, I asked myself, “If the Lord were my customer and had sent me an email inquiry, how prompt and faithful would I have been in getting a reply back to him?”

I like to think that I would have moved right away to get a helpful reply on its way back to Him.

But if my service to others is actually service to Him . . . .

Oh my!

If you are one of those still waiting for an answer from me, I’m sorry about the delay. I will try harder to get back to you.

“Be ye followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:1,2).

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15).

Follower of God and child of God — that is my identity, that is what I am.

What I am determines how I walk — in love (2), in light (8), in carefulness (15).

Is it unrealistic of God to expect me to place each step that way?

No. No, it isn’t unrealistic of Him. Because the greatest reality of all is that He made (and makes!) provision for me to be and to walk. Notice a few more verses from this chapter:

“Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing to water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (25-27).

Wow!