Ephesians 6:5-9 NIV
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Letters from Prison - Ephesians 6:5-9
Think about how much of your life is built around work. How can we approach our work and jobs in a way that honors Jesus?
Paul says a great employee is going to be:
1. Obedient - obey your earthly masters... – do what is asked (not immoral things of course).
2. Respectful - obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, – show deference to your boss who is responsible for things. Show respect to everyone. Be friendly and open, not territorial.
3. Vested - serve wholeheartedly- give it all you’ve got with a good attitude. Bring a can-do spirit – an energy to every task.
4. Loyal - when their eye is on you – you never know who sees what you do; but do good work anyway.
5. Sincere - sincerity of heart – really get after it. Solve problems. Share your expertise so others can get better too.
How to See My Job
Three ways to see your job…
See Your Job as a Partnership and Stewardship with God. “Look at God in the eye when you’re working.”
See Your Job as a Place of Preparation and Opportunity. You are doing something for Jesus by living for Him where you work. And you’re earning income that you turn into ministry.
See Your Job as a Position of Truth-Exhibition and Servant-Ministry. You’re the only Bible some people will ever read. Ironically, it will be your life bearing witness to the truth of Jesus.
Let me state these three things another way…
Do great work, but don’t brag. Let the work speak for itself. It will get noticed in time.
Help your co-worker, but don’t lag. Pull your part of the load. You don’t want to be the one to bottle-neck everything.
Live the truth, but don’t nag. It’s not your job to clean up everybody’s language or dirty jokes. Live the truth.
