Work ethic: Not Working For People, But For God

In summary of Ephesians 6:5-8 it says, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.”

Bottom Line:

We are to obey the authority we are under here on earth.  We should work hard for them, just as if Christ himself was our boss.  We work hard and serve not to please men but rather to please God.  We are to work with enthusiasm.  The Lord will reward you for doing good.

What this means to me:

This verse was written for all, whether slaves, masters or common workers, there is no distinction.  These verses definitely apply to us.  No matter what work we do, whether it be as a computer professional or in any other role; being joined with Christ calls us all to a higher standard of excellence. This translates into doing my best regardless of who I report to.  Christ is ultimately my boss and he knows and sees all and will judge accordingly.  I make it a goal in life to serve Christ in all that I do, no matter what.  These verses speak highly of integrity (doing the same thing whether visible or not visible) and doing so with a cheerful attitude and not begrudgingly.  In reality, Christ sees all and will reward accordingly.  There is nothing I do that can be hidden from him.  As such, I strive to serve as a model and examples for others and to do God's will here on earth.  The goal for my life is to reflect his character, serve his will, and bring glory and honor to him.  I must add, this is not always so easy and I fail often.  It is a conscience effort I must choose to make daily (and even hourly.)  I take my Job as a Manager, not in vain (or big headed – “I'm in charge”) but rather as a servant who serves those who report to me.  Granted I provide direction, coaching and guidance to my team, however, my job is to clear the way, overcome obstacles, and provide clarity so that those under me can do their best.  God cares deeply about this.  He designed me for a purpose and part of that is service to others and part of it is to be a model/example for others to see.  With my model/example, perhaps others will become interested, and be interested in why I am like this.  This may give me the opportunity to introduce them to their own personal relationship to Christ.  Overall, I’m not working for people, I’m working for Christ and I work towards giving my life over as in service for his purposes.