Work Relationships
Ephesians 6:5-9 - "Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him."
Paul moves on from discussing family relationships and turns his focus to work relationships. He uses the language of slaves and masters, but the core principle of the passage applies to modern work relationships between employees and bosses. Work can sometimes become unenjoyable and feel like a drag, but we must measure our approach to work against this passage to see what the Bible says about work. If we align our attitudes with that of the Scripture, we will be better off.
Paul begins the passage by commanding that employees obey their earthly bosses with fear and trembling and a sincere heart as if they are obeying Jesus Christ. This applies to all employees regardless of their occupation or industry. This is the humble posture we take to work with us. We don't walk in like we own the place and disrespect those with authority over us, just as we don't act as if we have authority over the kingdom of God. The principle applies even if you own your own business. All that we have, we have been given by God. This means our talents, jobs, and careers are a blessing from God and are to be used to worship Him and bring Him glory. When done well, a Christian works as an act of worship to God, the true boss and master of our lives. This starts with attitude and humility by taking the heart posture of a servant of Christ.
Our work is not for this world. While it may superficially seem that way at times, we actually are not working as Christians to please men or gain an earthly reward. Yes, we have to pay our bills and provide for our families, but our ultimate compensation is from the Lord, and it is eternal life. Without a servant's heart, we can lose sight of this and view our job as merely a means to an end. If I want a bigger house or a new vehicle, I better work hard. This creates a bad attitude that will not seek first to glorify God in our work.
Also, do not do your work to be seen by others. Jesus preaches against this attitude in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. When you work only to be seen and praised by others, you will receive your reward in full when they do offer you praise. Work hard regardless of who is watching and regardless of if you will get praise from men for your efforts. This not only honors God but it also acts as an amazing witness to others around you who may not yet know Christ.
When we fail to work honorably and do so for God, we become like the servant who was entrusted with a talent and buried it. We don't honor God with what He has given us. Instead, we hide His gifts and fail to do the work He has called us to do. That work involves evangelism, working for Him, and stewarding well the resources He has blessed us with. So, work hard for the Lord and bring Him honor in what you do.
In verse 9, Paul turns his focus to bosses. Bosses are not to lord their authority over their employees. Lead your place of work as a Christian should. Lead with grace toward your employees and serve them within your role as one in authority. Jesus teaches us that he who is to be the greatest must be a servant. The best bosses are the ones who willingly get their hands dirty and stick their necks out for their employees. Do not threaten them or abuse your authority but lead with the love of Jesus. This does not imply that you should never discipline them or hold them to a standard but do so knowing that you are leading as a representative of Christ first and as a manager or boss second. Paul ends with a reminder that God judges all impartially, regardless of whether you are a slave or a master.
In a perfect scenario, the bosses and employees are all Christians and work in nearly perfect harmony. But what about when your boss is not a Christian? What if the employees you are leading are not Christians? And what if those non-believers are not working well with you or for you? The command is the same. As employees, we obey the boss unless obedience to the boss causes us to disobey God. This shows the heart of Christ and acts as a witnessing tool toward the unbelieving boss. As a boss, if your employee is not making your job easy, respect them and view them with the same grace as God views us with. Show them Christ in your actions toward them as a way of witnessing to them.
Work is hard. But as Christians, we have a deeper purpose to our work. Serve Him faithfully where He has allowed you to serve Him in this season of life.
