By Nancy Virden (c)2025

Jesus said remarkable things, as did the apostle Paul. One of Jesus’ teachings was to love God 100% and to love our neighbors (anyone in our path) as we love ourselves. Jesus said to love even our enemies, bless those who persecute us, and live a life that represents His gospel well. Those are difficult tasks!

Paul continued this thought in Ephesians 6: 1-9 when he preached to people who may have had issues with Jesus’ lessons. He spoke to children, “obey your parents because this is the right thing to do”; to fathers, “do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them”; to slaves, “work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people”; and to slave masters, “treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them. Remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.”

Paul was not making a political statement, and neither was Jesus. Both were talking about our hearts, the seat of motives and emotions. If we surrender to Jesus Christ, we will do no harm to people we know, work beside, or those with whom we share a home – even our enemies.

Both men encouraged boundaries. Rather than return evil for evil, Jesus instructed his disciples to get away from people who wanted to harm them. Matthew 10:23 reads, “When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next.” Paul encouraged slaves in his letter to the Corinthian believers. “Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it.”

The Bible does not condone slavery as some ignorant people like to claim. Isaiah 58:6 describes the kind of worship God wants. “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” 

There is no endorsement of abuse here, either. In the case of abuse that is destroying you or your children, flee. Leave the other person to God’s justice. Your priority is to honor God by becoming who He intended, not as a human tries to shape you.

Jesus and Paul want us to embrace inner change even if our situation, spouse, job, school, or church does not. Transformation in our hearts and minds is called renewal. We are not destined to be victims, but as Paul said in Romans 8:15, “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’”

In a society rife with indentured servanthood and slavery, these ideas 2000 years ago were mind blowing. A father (in a patriarchal society) was not to be making his children angry by his forceful, punishing, or abandoning ways?

It is our hearts Jesus is after. Who do we love? God? Our neighbor? When these become our focus, our hearts will follow. We find our selfish selves less powerful and our emotions more caring. This change is possible in any circumstance. Psalm 62:7 reads, “My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.”

-COMMENTS WELCOME

Today’s Helpful Word

Psalm 62:7 (NKJ)

In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.

If you are feeling suicidal or concerned about someone who is, in the U.S. call 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. For a list of international suicide hotlines, go here.

If you are suicidal with a plan, immediately call 911 in the U.S. or go to your nearest emergency room. In the EU call 112. (For other international emergency numbers, go here ). Hope and help are yours!

Always the Fight Ministries (ATFM) has been displaying compassion for those fighting mental illness, addiction, or abuse since 2012. Nancy is the founder and voice of ATFM and openly shares her emotional resurrection from despair. 

NOTE: Nancy is not a doctor or a mental health professional and speaks only from personal experience and observations. This website is not intended to substitute for professional mental or behavioral health care.

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