Work AS To The Lord – Spirit Filled Employee

READ  EPHESIANS 6:5-10

MEDITATION: Three, Your relationship with Christ should make you the best employee or employer on the job. Ephesians 6:5 says: “Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ.” But you could almost hear someone saying, “Yea, but you don’t know who I work for.” But, it is not as if you are obeying them alone. No, you are doing what you are doing to them as to the Lord.

There is a special attitude that permeates the life of a person who has been broken, who is being broken, who is daily confessing, who is daily repenting, who is daily seeking after the Lord Jesus. There is a special attitude in their heart. What is that attitude? Whatever they do, whether at home, recreation or work, they do it as to the Lord. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others.” That is the attitude of the Spirit-filled believer. You have a lot of Christian workers out in the work place with non-Christian bosses and non-Christian co-workers. But they have one attitude and one attitude alone. That attitude is to do whatever they do as unto Christ.

Now Spirit-filled believers have two things that they understand. One is specifically mentioned, and one is implied, which is very helpful to us. One is that their boss, called a master in the verse, is an authority God has placed into their life, a human authority. Ephesians 6:5 says, “Slaves, be obedient to your (human masters) with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ.” Since they are human, they are imperfect, but they are in a position that God has put them into over your life. They know that their boss is only human, but they are willing to obey him.

The word for obey here is the word hupakouo. That word is not used for wives to their husbands. It is only used for Christians to God, children to parents and slaves to their masters. It means to obey. It means not to gripe every time the boss tells you to do something. It means to respond and to respond quickly. That is why he says “with fear and trembling.” However, Paul is not saying with fear and trembling of the boss, but fear and trembling of the Lord Jesus Christ. What you are doing is a reflection of how we love Him. There is an urgency to respond and to respond correctly when asked or assigned to do anything by a person who has been put in a position over you.

Now why in the world would a Spirit-filled believer do that? This is not the world’s way of doing anything. The world says if you don’t like what you are doing, get a sign and stand out front and strike. That is not the biblical way. The biblical way is we have one boss and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. We are His bond-servants. He is our friend, yes, but He is still our Master and our Lord. He is caring, compassionate, yes, but deserving to be obeyed. Therefore, when we go to work, we are obeying Him by obeying them. So we move quickly. We respond even sometimes with fear and trembling as to the Lord.

The second truth that a Spirit-filled believer knows is implied here. It is found in Proverbs 21:1. “Like a stream is the king’s heart (person in authority) in the hand of the LORD; wherever it pleases him, he directs it.” A Spirit-filled believer knows who really is in control. You must understand that we serve a sovereign God. He is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and in control. He is not sitting on the back porch with a long beard wondering what is happening on earth. He knows exactly. As a matter of the fact, the Psalmist says He doesn’t slumber and He doesn’t sleep. He is always busy. He knows what is going on. He is in control.

Hence, your relationship with Christ should make you the best employee on the job. The key concept is, you do not work primarily for your employer. You work primarily for Jesus Christ, who sees your every motive and action, even when your earthly boss is not there. What attitude do you bring to your work? Do you consider yourself as an ambassador for Christ in your work place? Are you constantly grumbling and complaining at work? Or do you go about your duties with a cheerful heart, as someone working for the Lord and not for a human boss?

ACTION: Note how many times you’ve grumbled and complained at work this week. And note also the times you have gone about your work with a cheerful attitude. Make a decision to start eliminating the complaining, and start growing the joyfulness.

PRAY THE MODEL PRAYER FOR EXTENDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD