“Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”
(Colossians 3:22-4:1)
The “whatever we’re doing” here concerns the doing of WORK, all kinds of work, even working as slaves. That’s right, Paul in his letter to the Colossians, was addressing believers, many of whom were slaves.
The master/slave relationships of Paul’s day was not the same as the slavery defined by the inhuman slave-trade of the 1800s. It was not based on race/ethnicity, nor nationality, but instead, it was regulated and voluntary. In that day, some would freely choose to serve as slaves in order to pay off debt, support their families, or to ensure that all of their needs would be provided for under the care of their masters.
The slave/master relationship could be properly worked out as an alternate form of employment . . . the doing of work. So, although this passage addresses the slave and master relationship, it can be as relevant and applicable to our current form of employment consisting of employee and employer.
And so whatever work we are involved in, we are to “work heartily, as for the Lord”. Perhaps a simple way to put this command into practice is to work as if our bosses were God Himself. It is good to meditate on these passage of scripture regularly but especially crucial in those times when I loathe my job.
I find that remembering how we are to work “as for the Lord” instils a healthy dose of reverential fear. Would I dare arrive late at work knowing that my boss is the Almighty God? At the same time, again especially during those difficult times at work, the God for whom we work is not only the Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe but also our Heavenly Father who loved us while we were yet still sinners. Knowing how He loves us can be a wellspring of motivation, enthusiasm and a source of gratitude. After all, we work for a Boss who works all things for our own good, so we will be conformed to Christ’s likeness all the more (Romans 8:28-29).
Although we may work for men, we are ultimately serving our Lord! May we do so faithfully and may our ongoing conformity to Christ while at work bring Glory to Him!
– Mario Richard
PS: I know most of us, myself included, are employees and so you may ask, “What if I’m an employer?” Well don’t worry, I’ve got you covered right here with:
“Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” – Colossians 4:1
