5 Slaves, respect and fear your earthly masters. Obey and serve them with the same sincerity of heart as you serve the Anointed One. 6 Don’t put on a show just because they are looking (as if you were a people pleaser); but as a slave of the Anointed, do the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve them in good faith as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because all good deeds are gifted back from the Lord, and they are yours whether you are a slave or not. (Ephesians 6:5-8)
Christian employees are under obligation to those who hire them to do what they say, as long as it is in keeping with God's word. I'm sure you noticed that Paul did not suggest that we should rise up and revolt against our bosses. God encourages a measured and calm approach when differences arise. Rising up in protest only causes the power structures to shift from one side to the other, in ceaseless cycles.
Now, there is a better way, and it does not look like it is the way. But in the realm of history, wherever it has been tried, it has always worked. Paul writes, "(Employees) Slaves, respect and fear your earthly masters. Obey and serve them with the same sincerity of heart as you serve the Anointed One." It must be done "with respect and fear." We must be careful to approach this with respect and fear, or we will fail to trust God. And, His involvement is of utmost importance. If we do not follow His instructions, we will not have His blessing.
In v.6 Paul encourages us to obey the Lord from the heart. Granted, we must work under man's direction, but we must always work as unto the Lord. If we approach our work like this we will not be men pleasers or eye pleasers. Our attitude must be to do the type of job for the boss that I would do for the LORD.
According to v.8, we must perform like this "because all good deeds are gifted back from the Lord, and they are yours whether you are a slave or not." It does not make any difference what our status in life is. When work is done unto the Lord, He undertakes to correct the conditions that make for unhappiness, or else, He repays us on another level. God does not promise always to correct the condition, because His will is that we manifest the grace that we have received from Him. And, this may very well result in our boss coming to know the Lord for himself.
I am sure that you remember the story of Joseph from Genesis 37-50. Joseph's life story was predicated on his understanding that what God had spoken to him and declared about him was true no matter what the circumstances. This explains his ability to resist the flesh (the evil desires within that cause us to miss God's culture) choosing to forgive his brothers for selling him into slavery. He was separated from his father for 13 years as a result of being sold into slavery. Every other decision he made comes out of this one HUGE decision. Such is the nature of walking in the ways of the LORD, one door opens to another. Joseph saw some tough times while in Egypt but in the end he was the second most powerful figure in the land.
Finally, through Joseph’s example, we recognize the importance of seeking God even more when things are going well. Prosperity and success will test our character infinitely more than hardship! When we’re in trouble and our back is against the wall, we know we need help. And, we know that success has corrupted more individuals than hardship ever has? It’s prosperity that often causes people to lose sight of their God-given vision or to attempt to bring it to pass through their own natural ability. Even with extreme wealth and power at his disposal, Joseph waited on the Lord and watched in faith as He brought His dream to fulfillment!
