Why do you work?

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 like 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.

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. Ephesians 6:5-9

Why do you work? A number of answers seem obvious: to pay the bills, to get out of debt, to build the 401-K, to buy a house, to use personal abilities, to advance professionally, and other reasons. For many in American culture, work is a means to an end. In other words, some people endure work, but what they really live for is some activity outside of work. Few think of work as a religious activity unless one happens to be in some sort of full time religious service.

Take a few moments to consider what you think about work and why you work. Since work often occupies the single largest block of dedicated time in life, having a clear idea of why you do what you do is good important.

This passage in Ephesians 6, plus the parallel passage in Colossians 3, makes a very personal claim upon the lives of Christians. Christians are told to work to do the will of God. You are even told to obey your supervisor or boss just as you would obey Christ. It might seem that it would be easy to obey Christ if he were your boss at work. He would always be fair, his criticisms would be just and helpful, and he would always be looking out for your best interests. What’s not to like about this situation? However, verse five says that you should obey earthly supervisors as if they are the Lord. Here is the rub: human supervisors are not always fair, their criticisms are at times unjust, and often they are more concerned with their own interests than with yours. Yet Paul says to obey these earthly authorities as if they were Christ, himself. Why? For the answer, take a look at verse 16 in Colossians 1:

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Notice the relationship between this verse and verse five above. Your supervisor, with all of his or her faults, was still handpicked by Christ for the job. Jesus Christ determined who your supervisor would be and made you accountable to him. This accountability is not based upon how well your boss performs, but upon the placement of that individual in your life by the Lord of the Universe. All authorities were created at his pleasure.

Work – it is an opportunity to bring honor to the name of God. Do your families see you thinking this way about your work? Your work provides a powerful leadership opportunity to live out true reality in front of those whom you are to lead!

· What things does your boss or supervisor do to make it difficult to obey him as if he were the Lord?

· If you have employees under your authority, what do you do that might make it more difficult for them to obey you?

· What changes do you need to make at work in these areas?

· How can the other men in your group help hold you accountable to be a better leader at work?