Live it and Teach it

DEVOTION
TITUS
LIVE IT AND TEACH IT
Titus 2:9-10
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
NIV
It is a cinch we done have any slaves in this country anymore, but I am sure there are somewhere, except I am not there and so I cannot apply this to them, but I still should see something here for me, as God is eternal and his words apply to all believers for all of eternity. Most of us Americans I think see this as employees rather than slaves, although it some jobs may seem like slavery. Yet in the Greek this word actually implies one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will. That would therefore include an employee who has agreed to comply with the will or rules and regulations of the employer. This is standard set out here is especially directed to a believer who is under the employ of another who may well not be a believer. I do wonder if Titus was a perfect man, not ever breaking any of the commands of God. It would seem he is supposed to teach all this, as I believe I am as well as a host of other people in the body of Christ today and yet I do not think any of us could say we have not broken some command, if not many. How can the imperfect teach perfection? Yet here it still is, the standard for Christians who have voluntarily placed themselves under the authority of their boss. At some point in time I need to teach this truth, about be subject, not talking back, trying to please the company, doing the very best at whatever is the believers responsibility within the company. This stealing thing goes way past taken stuff which belongs to the company, but it also implies stealing time, being lazy about work, not being productive, not giving one hundred percent. All the doing really has no result, of course, unless the boss, the employer, the company knows the believer is follower of Christ. If it is known, the all this great behavior should be attributed to Christ’s influence upon the employee. Although I have spent time being the employer, I also have spent time being the employee and some of that time as a believer. I think I have been both what God expected of me, and what he did not. Yet, here I am today, and this truth still stands and I am still supposed to live it and teach it.