Date: September 15, 2021 | Series: Youth for Jesus | Number: Vol. 4, No. 18
“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.” (Eph 6:9NIV)
One of the major issues we are confronted with in our country today is a high rate of unemployment. And it is so bad that many of our school graduates have no way of putting to use the education they have acquired. So, they often have to diversify into businesses or fields of work in which they may never be able to apply the education or training they spent several years and a lot of resources to obtain.
Unfortunately, most employers of labor are now taking advantage of this ugly situation to impoverish and cheat their workers. I mean that they use the situation of things in the country as their excuse for paying their workers less than they deserve or for not paying them when due or for threatening them as though they had nowhere else to go if they should be out of their employment. And it is sad to know that there are even people of God, who should know better, among those who act like this.
But what is the mind of God on how to treat our workers or anyone who does any kind of work for us? It is what we have in our opening bible text. There Paul speaks by the Spirit of God to employers of labor, who, at the time he wrote the letter, were masters of slaves, on how they are to treat their workers. And how are they to treat them? First, he says they are to treat them in the same way they expect their workers to treat them and their work.
Now how are their workers to treat them and their work? Paul says, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 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. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (Eph 6:5-8NIV) Can you see that? Workers are to relate to their employers in obedience and with respect, fear, and sincerity of heart, just the way they would relate to the Lord Jesus.
In other words, the will of God is that all employees are to serve their employers wholeheartedly, whether they are watching them or not as if they were serving the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In fact, in another letter, Paul says they are to keep in mind that it is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself they are serving (Col 3:23-24). This being the case, the Lord Himself will also personally reward them for the way they handle their work, that is, beyond whatever their employers give them. And this, I believe, should be an incentive for every child of God to take their work seriously. That is because it is not only your boss or employer or client that will appraise and reward you. The Lord Jesus Himself also will appraise you and reward you accordingly.
In like manner, as Paul tells us, employers also need to keep in mind that they also have a master over their heads. That is the Lord Jesus Christ, who He is currently watching and appraising them on how they treat their workers and will reward them accordingly. And since He does not play favorites, they can expect Him to deal with them justly. This is why they must treat their workers with respect and fairness in all things instead of cheating them or threatening them. Otherwise, they will simply be bringing themselves under God’s judgment, as James tells us in his own epistle (James 5:1-6).
So, if you have anyone working with you or for you, you must make up your mind to fulfill all your duties to them and not to cheat them, injure them, threaten them or make life hard for them. Remember that the Lord Jesus, our Master, is watching you and will reward you with justice, not just when you stand before His throne on the Day of Judgment but also right here in the world. Will you, then, want Him to treat you the way you have been treating your employees or laborers? I am sure you know the answer.
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