Honor your Father, fear your Master

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: God is not a marshmallow. We all love to think of God as our Father, and He is, but how often do we actually think about what that means? And how often do we think of God as our Master?

In our modern "Hello Kitty" culture, most people don't think of these things as much as we should. We take the bits we like from Christianity, but the stuff we find less desirable is either put to one side, or discarded entirely. Imagine if we did this with our earthly relationships. As children, did we not submit to our fathers? Are we as irreverent with our bosses as with our God? Let us hope not! For a good father will drive out a rebellious attitude with his hand, or a cane, or the dreaded leather belt. And if you talk with your boss the way some people talk to God, you'll be unemployed tomorrow.

God illustrates this in the book of Malachi. The priests of Malachi's day left a lot to be desired. They would present defiled food upon God's alter, and the sacrifices they offered were not without blemish, as the law required. As a result, God says they despised His name, and told them "bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favour?"

Whoever the authorities are in our lives, it is vital we seek to please them. Fathers, masters, governors, it's unwise to tick any of them off. And God is greater than all of them. Therefore, we should make just as much effort to please God as any earthly authority.