No matter what job u have do it cheerfully like u r working for Christ and not men. u will get rewarded and have an inheritance in stored for u.
Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, (Colossians 3:23 AMP)
Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established. (Proverbs 16:3 NASB)
(BELOW I used 3 different translations of the bible from http://glo.to/l?1=49006005)
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Servants (slaves/workers/employees), be obedient to those who are your physical masters (bosses) having respect for them and eager concern to please them, in singleness of motive and with all your heart, as [service] to Christ [Himself]-- Not in the way of eye-service [as if they were watching you] and only to please men, but as servants (slaves/workers) of Christ, doing the will of God heartily and with your whole soul; Rendering service readily with goodwill, as to the Lord and not to men, Knowing that for whatever good anyone does, he will receive his reward from the Lord, whether he is slave/worker or free. (Ephesians 6:5-8 AMP)
"Slaves, obey your masters here on earth with fear and respect and from a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ. You must do this not only while they are watching you, to please them. With all your heart you must do what God wants as people who are obeying Christ. Do your work with enthusiasm. Work as if you were serving the Lord, not as if you were serving only men and women. Remember that the Lord will give a reward to everyone, slave or free, for doing good. Masters, in the same way, be good to your slaves. Do not threaten them. Remember that the One who is your Master and their Master is in heaven, and he treats everyone alike." (Ephesians 6:5-9 NCV)
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 people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are 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 NIV)
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Christianity on the Job
Ephesians 6:5-9
In the passage today, we will talk about roles of employees and supervisors.
There are still more than 27 million slaves today. Two million child prostitutes between 5 and 15. Estimated 13 million people are part of human trafficking. There are more human slaves today than ever before.
It also still exists today in the US. Still 15,000 slaves or more in the United States.
Regardless; most, if not all of us, don't deal with slavery every day… but we do deal with our employers and our employees.
1. Obedience
Slaves, obey your earthly masters. How could Paul approve of slavery? Is Paul contridicting the Gospel? Paul was not called to overthrow the Roman Government. Instead, he shared the Gospel through the condition he found himself in.
Jesus did not come to reorganize, He came to save us.
Obey your masters… because they are in authority over you.
Obedience is something that doesn't come easy to us. Do you obey your employer? Are you in submission to them? We are to be willing and cheerful employees. It is God's command.
We are to give our best, not only when we are being watched, but at all times. Have you called in sick when you weren't sick? Do you consistently come in late and leave early? Do you do personal business when at work?
We must give our best at all times. We do it because we are obeying Christ. We do it because it is a good witness. We do it because simply it is the will of God. When it comes to our actions, there should be no separation between the secular and the sacred.
We need to talk less about obedience, and we need to obey more.
2. Service.
You can serve God in church, but you can also serve God in your secular life. Are you a full time servant of God? You don't have to be a pastor or missionary to be a full time servant of God. God needs Christian ditch diggers, engineers, educators, …
When you go to work in the morning, you are not just "going to work", you are going to your mission field. We shouldn't just be motivated to receive awards, but we should be motivated internally. We should look forward to going to "our mission field". We are often motivated by our paycheck, by the upcoming weekend.
Motivations for service:
Sense of discipline - compelled will - "I have to"
Sense of duty - convinced mind - "I ought to"
Sense of devotion - captured heart - "I want to"
3. Respect.
The threat of death was often held over the slave for them to comply. Paul says not to lead that way.
Employers should respect their employees… they should take the best care they can of them.
You should not take advantage of them… you should look after them.
Don't be the one that an employee says of you, "My boss is a Christian, but you wouldn't know it based on his actions."
Don't be a bad testimony through your actions toward your employer.
Are you serving other people? Are you following the Lord's path for you?
Based on the sermon of Pastor Mark Dooley on Ephesians 6:5-9 on iTunes
Check out this podcast on iTunes:
Leonardtown Baptist Church (Leonardtown Campus)
Pastor Mark Dooley
Christianity
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