Working for Jesus

Eph 6:5,6 "Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart," NKJV

Paul is giving it to us right where we live. He hits wives and husbands and children and Dads, and now employees. He was addressing servants who gave themselves freely in the service of other people. That sounds an awful like an employee to me. When you think about it, most of us are employees not employers (Paul hits them too.). As a result, this verse applies to probably 90 percent of us.

What am I supposed to be like as an employee? What should characterize my life when I work at Bentoff & Duber? Obedience and sincerity. Obedience deals with listening and submitting (there is that submit to one another thing again). Sincerity deals with mental honesty (and I would think ethical honesty) and a generous spirit.

Now, I have been very blessed. God has given me a great job with a great boss. Doing what Michael wants is not really an issue. But I know that there are times when I can be tempted to complain. God says that complaining on the job and because of our jobs is out of the question. We have to be genuine. We have to be sincere. And this one, we have to be generous. Not necessarily with money but with our time. I know that I love to go home at the end of the day. My home is my refuge. Yet, if I need to stay and work, I need to stay and work. And while I am there, I need to use my time well. I need to be obedient and sincere and work hard.

Why? I am not really working for Bentoff & Duber. I am working for Jesus Christ. He is my ultimate boss. He is the One who calls the shots. He is the One who put me in the position that I have. I am accomplishing His will where I am at, so work hard at it.

Paul was getting this message out to other churches as well: "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men," Col 2:22,23

I wonder what it would be like if every Christian did this? I wonder how much work would get done? I wonder how productive would our companies be? How much evangelizing would get done because employers would see a different attitude in believers?

For me, today…work hard. I am working for Jesus.