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The previous section of Colossians (3:1-17) was about focusing on Christ, drawing nourishment from Him, putting on his very nature like clothes for our spirit. That sets the stage for some practical examples. The theme is set by vs 17 & vs 23: whatever we do, we do for God. It sounds like a simple idea. When we understand what it is, we are tempted to think we are already doing it. We have a long way to go. If we miss the theme, we tend to take the examples and turn them in to a kind of specifics that were not intended and then they become oppressive rules. Remember the point: there is no part of life that we aren't supposed to be honoring God. If we clothe ourselves with love and forgiveness, it ought to show up in our every day relationships, especially the ones that are the closest. I wonder how much differently we would think about these instructions if we thought that we are supposed to learn to not just live for ourselves, or stay in our place or live with the hierarchy, or we would step outside of the blessing of God? What if we saw that we weren't to live for ourselves, and as a kind of death to self, we would live this way to live in Jesus name, to live as he would in our body and circumstances? Then wives would submit, not because they are lesser or shouldn't lead, but they are to submit instead of fighting and competing and making life all about themselves. What if men loved their wives to lift them up into a higher place instead of thinking they are just supposed to be nice to them since they keep them in all kinds of restrictions. There is not a divine right of men any more than there was a divine right of kings. Husbands lift up their wives and enable them to be everything they can be, everything God means for them to be. What if children obeyed their parents instead of treating like they were ignorant and instead acted like they knew their parents wanted their best? It would change everything. What if fathers got so engaged in their children's lives that they encouraged the good more than they were angry with the wrong and really motivated their kids as a result? People who clothed themselves with the compassion of Christ would act like that, I think. Then, maybe the most extreme example shows us not only the attitude he is teaching, but also that it isn't about the circumstances being somehow ordained or right. Servants should work with the joy and freedom they have in Christ, not in the bitterness and resentment of being oppressed. We all must learn to live that way, in all our circumstances. Life isn't about whether it is fair or could be better. Life is about being in Christ and living like we really are in Him. We leave God in charge of dealing with the people who create the bad circumstances and do wrong. We just choose to do good and live for Jesus instead of ourselves. We have a Master who is always right and fair and has blessed us with forgiveness and strength and compassion that we can choose to pass on. Nothing, not even comfort or privilege tops what we have when we live our lives in Christ!