I had a dream before I woke up. It was pretty detailed and real. My wife, two oldest sons and I were in the parking lot of a brown/grey stone-covered grocery store, collecting shopping carts, and sharing the Gospel. We were taking the carts inside the store. I remember the feel of the carts: my hands were sticky and dirty, and we had the trash from inside them in our hands. An old man, dressed in a brown coat, slacks and a cabby-style cap (he looked rather old-fashioned) stopped us and asked why we were doing this. We said “We love Jesus, and the people in this parking lot, and the people of this store). He then tried to hand me twenty-five dollars. I remember the feeling: the bills felt new, and crisp and clean. I tried to refuse, but he told me that I shouldn’t refuse a blessing.
As we entered the store, we began to clean the carts off, and another old man, though he looked similar, asked why we were doing this: they’re just shopping carts, and we don’t work there. My dad, who apparently had gone into the store with my mother and our two younger boys, walked up and began to explain the love of Christ, and what causes Christians to do what they do. I went to go look for our two younger boys, who had apparently gotten into trouble while my mother shopped, as they were both seated close by in two different places, and I began to talk to the younger ones about why we were there. I was explaining the Gospel to one (really, both of them, I remember their eyes on me), and doing so in the way we learned at camp: “Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He was buried and rose again on the third day. When He did this, He solved two problems we all have. He solved our sin problem when He nailed our sins to the cross, and solved our Grave problem when He rose again, proving we could also rise again. Jesus said to get in on all of this we must follow Him and be born again, Isn’t that good news?” As I said it, I could hear several people in the store behind me doing the motions (there’s some claps, and other motions involved); this told me we all had been sharing the good news, even though some of us had been punished by grandparents, and people had listened! I woke up with this phrase on my mind: all things for the Glory of God. And that is what I think the dream was, by and large, about. We were shopping, but while we were shopping, we were serving, and while we were serving, we were sharing the Gospel. We were given blessings, and we were giving out blessings, and it was all for the Glory of Christ. Loved ones, this is how we should always live: in work, in play, in rising up and laying down, in our thoughts, and everything we do: we should do it all for the Glory of God.
Ephesians 5:1-6:9
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
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