Work as unto the Lord

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. – Ephesians 6.5-8

Paul’s words were written to a different culture. Various forms of slavery were sadly a part of life. Most of the time this slavery was a type of temporary indentured servitude. People were getting saved and many of them were slaves. What were slaves supposed to do about their slavery now?

It’s a difficult situation for us to grasp, but God has never condoned rebellion in the church. He never commands His people to rise up. In general God is the author of authority As a result He tells those servants to submit to the masters in the flesh.

While we mat argue about how slavery and servitude and such there is an important principle here that we ought not miss. When we are serving or working for someone we need to remember that more than anything else of testimony is what really matters. We ought to reflect our relationship with Christ. We don’t work only to be seen and to make the boss happy. We ought to be done as the best workers in the workplace so that we can magnify Christ.

Today we have the freedom to change jobs mostly, but if we are stuck in a difficult situation, we may do the best job we can do to reflect Jesus to our bosses and let God sort out the rest.

And, by the way, for Christian bosses, they are also told to treat their workers as Christ would treat them. They is no room in God’s family for tyrants or bullies in any relationship.