"Give Up Threatening"

<sup>Thinking of the stress-attacks (barking and growling and the good 'ol evil-eye) and threat-displays people use to keep others in line...

Ephesians 6:4-9 
 4</sup>Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 

⁵Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
 ⁶not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
 ⁷With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
 ⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
 ⁹And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Verse 4 is enlightening as well.  Other translations read "do not exasperate your children" instead of "provoke . . to anger"  How many times have you seen an authority pick or escalate a fight with an underling then pull rank to end it?

"And, masters, do the same things to them" There's also a point to be made that our actions toward those over or under us are to be thought of as actions to God.  The thought of growling and barking at the Almighty should be a sobering one.