Peace and Giving
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.
Colossians 3:18-4:1

In Colossians 3:15, Paul wrote about peace: “15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” What does peace look like?
Paul lived during a time of peace. It was the Roman Peace, when the power of the Roman Army brought peace to the Empire. The Roman historian Tacitus described such a peace when he wrote about the Roman conquest of Britain using a short simple sentence: “They made a desert, and they called it peace”. The Roman Peace was definitely peace, but it was a peace that was forced, a peace based on fear.
Paul wrote about a different type of peace: the peace of Christ that rules in our hearts. But instead of a peace that was taken with weapons and strength, this was a peace that was given with humility and reverence. Paul wrote about this peace in families. In Colossians 3:18, he told wives what they are to give: submission to their husbands “as is fitting in the Lord”. And in Colossians 3:19, he told husbands what they are to give: love to their wives. In Ephesians 5:25, Paul compared the love husbands should give to their wives with the way that Christ loved the church, such that He “gave Himself up for her”. In the family, everyone is to give, even the children. They are to give obedience to the parents (Colossians 3:20).
Giving is difficult. Often people do not seem worthy to receive what we give. But we have the example of Christ who washed the feet of the man who would betray him. We give not because people deserve it, but because God first gave us. He gave us love; He gave us forgiveness; He gave us His Son.

Prayer:
• What do you need to give?
Ask God to give you a giving heart.