Employees and Employers

(Message delivered by Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo at the Sunset Gospel Bible Fellowship, Calvary Pandan B-P Church, October 22, 2006)
Ephesians 6:5-9

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. 9And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.”

How Can I be a Godly Employee?

What would employers like to hear from their employees? I think it would be music to the ears of employers to hear their employees say, “The boss is always right,” or “Your wish is my command.” Such employees who obey every whim and fancy of their employers regardless of right or wrong might be deemed “good” by their employers, but is this what we as Christians ought to be as well? As Christians, our duty is not to be “good” but godly employees. Godliness begets goodness. Our work is only good when it is done in a godly way. So, the question is correct: How can we as Christians be a godly employee? The Apostle Paul tells us how. Let us look at his good advice in Ephesians 6:5-9.

Obedience

The duty of servants is summed up in one word, “obedience.” The Greek word hupakouo literally means “to hear under.” This word is applied to those who are under authority, who are underlings. Just as children are underlings and must obey (hupakouo) their parents who are their guardians or overseers (Eph 6:1), so must servants or employees obey their bosses who are their managers or supervisors. Our employers, “according to the flesh,” have authority over us in matters secular and not spiritual. They have no right whatsoever to rule over our faith and religion. As such, employees cannot obey their employers if they are told to do that which contravenes their beliefs or the Scriptures.

What kind of obedience are employees to render to their employers? Paul tells us that the obedience must be “with fear and trembling.”

With Fear and Trembling

Employees are to show respect to their employers, and be fearful to displease them or to incur their anger. Such respect is shown to them because of their position as heads or superiors. It is oftentimes said that respect must be earned, and sometimes employees tell their bosses, “You must earn my respect. If I am not happy with you, I am not going to show you any respect even though you are my boss.” But the Apostle Paul does not practise such discrimination. Respect ought to be given to our employers whether we like it or not, and it should be given to considerate as well as unreasonable employers. The Apostle Peter likewise commanded, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward” (1 Pet 2:18). Jesus said, “whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (Matt 5:41). By going the second mile, we obey the command of God to love our neighbour, which includes our enemies, even our bosses who may be unkind towards us. By obeying the Lord, we do good, and no one can fault our Christian testimony. Furthermore, our good works will put our bad bosses to shame.

In Singleness of Heart

The word “singleness” (haploteti) speaks of sincerity over against hypocrisy. The employee is called upon to work with pure and not ulterior motives. He is not pretending to work but actually working with the sole purpose of doing the job and doing it well.

As Unto Christ

When we work in the office or in the factory or out in the open, we must have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in mind. We want to have a biblical work ethic. We want to do our best in order to glorify the Lord, and bear a Christlike testimony for Him. When we serve the Lord in our secular work, it will redound to the glory of God. Our biblical work ethics and faith in Christ would show, and this would make it easier for us to reach out to our colleagues with the gospel of Christ.

Not with Eye-service

In other words, do not work only when people are looking at you. When the boss is around we are busy, but when the boss is away we are lazy. Having observed many students who have gone through the halls of training at FEBC, there are some students who work with eye-service. When the Matron is present, these eye-service students would be hard at work—busy, busy, busy. But when the Matron is absent, they would be idling away—lazy, lazy, lazy, and some would even pretend to be the Matron, bossing over other students.

Not as Men-pleasers but as Servants of Christ

The chief purpose in the life of every believer in whatever occupation or vocation is “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” As employees, we are first of all servants of Christ and our loyalty is first and foremost to Him. This is not to say that we should try as much as we can to displease our employers; no, not at all. We should do our best to please them but we must never please our employers at the expense of our love for Christ. If our employers tell us to do something that would compromise our faith or our obedience to the Scriptures, we must not be afraid to say no. When the Apostles, for instance, were ordered not to preach Christ ever again, what did they say? In Acts 5:29, Peter and the other apostles told their religious rulers, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” If we seek to be approved by or be popular with men, we are no longer servants of Christ. In His work for Christ, Paul wrote, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Gal 1:10). When we put Christ first in our work whether church or secular, we would be accepted not only by God, but also by men—“For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men” (Rom 14:18).

Doing the Will of God from the Heart

To do the will of God is to obey His commandments, and God commands that employees be obedient to their bosses, serving them out of a principle of love that stems from the heart. We are constrained by the love of Christ to do our best in the work that God has given to us, or in the place that He has put us in. Let us have Paul’s attitude in the work we do, “For the love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Cor 5:14). The love of Christ would constrain us to live a holy life whether at home, at work, or at play, and by so doing we shall know the perfect will of God.

With Good Will Doing Service

A godly employee must not harbour any ill intentions towards his employer. He will not do anything to sabotage or jeopardise the business or well-being of his employer or company. If we suffer any unjust or unfair treatment, we are not vengeful or vindictive, but commit everything to the Lord, and allow the Lord to vindicate us.

As to the Lord, and Not to Men

When we, as employees, bear patiently with all the injustice we face at the workplace, we are following Christ’s example. Our Lord was ill-treated by the people, yet He served them and gave His life for them. Matthew Henry has rightly observed, “Service, performed with conscience, and from a regard to God, though it be to unrighteous masters, will be accounted by Christ as service done to himself.” When we carry our own crosses, the Lord takes note and will reward us accordingly (v8).

How Can I be a Godly Employer?

We have been talking about employees, but how about employers? How should Christian employers behave? Christian employers are not exempt from the Lord’s command to love: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matt 19:19). This is precisely what is meant when Paul told the masters to “do the same things unto them” (v9). This was precisely the golden rule of Christ: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matt 7:12). Applying this golden rule, Paul wrote, “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven” (Col 4:1). Treat them as human beings made in the image of God, and not like animals. Pay them on time. Be fair and just in your dealings with them.

Refrain from threatening your employees. Be positive and not negative in your approach. Instead of saying, “If you do not do your work, I will sack you,” say, “If you are obedient and diligent, I will give you a bonus.”

All who are masters ought to be aware that there is a Master who is above all, and He is none other than our Creator who judges all equally and fairly for He does not discriminate between masters and servants, employers and employees. His law or commandments, blessings or rewards apply equally to all. To both employers and employees, the Apostle Paul has this instruction, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Col 3:23-25).

May the Lord grant us His grace to be godly employers and employees to the glory of His Name.

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