… and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
Summary: Paul continues his admonition to obey our earthly bosses with detailed instructions as to how we should serve them.
In our last meditation, we looked at what it means to be a servant. Essentially, the modern-day equivalent is having a job.
If we look at Paul’s text that way, it is easy to see that his words still have value.
Paul begins by telling us to obey the boss. He goes on to expand on the idea with several key points. Let’s begin with the first one, “and do it…”
For years, Nike’s trademark was “Just do it!” I hadn’t thought about it before, but it looks suspiciously similar to Paul’s synopsis of what to do.
The “it” is whatever your earthly boss tells you to do. The rest of Paul’s instruction is how to do the work. Honestly, though, “do it” is a good start! For some people, “not doing it” has been raised to an art form. Like a child who doesn’t want to go to bed, the ungodly servant is looking for ways to avoid work.
“I need a cup of water!” might fly when you are three years old, but for an adult with a job to do, that kind of excuse does not cut it.
The next thing Paul points out is when we “do it,” we should do it like we mean it, whether we are being watched or not. People have been known to “put on a show” for the boss when they are being watched, and as soon as the boss leaves, so does their ambition.
(I feel like I should make a joke about curry being a “flavor” and not a “favor,” but I think I’ll let it pass.)
So, how should we “do it?”
Paul says, “… with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”
That sounds like a recipe for good Christian living! To revere the Lord is the Greatest Command (Matthew 22:37-38). “Sincerity of heart” is something else. It is more about “how” than about “what.”
What does “sincerity of heart” mean?
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he equates insincerity to Eve’s original sin:
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)
Imagine a heart not fully devoted to the Lord. It is like a house foundation with a crack in it. Satan loves to slither in through the cracks in our devotion. This is why Paul advocates for a sincere heart. In another place, he writes:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
Paul equates everything we do with our service to our Lord, Jesus. Perhaps we should, too.
Application: “Do it” with sincerity!
Food for Thought: How does serving our earthly bosses reflect on our faith in Jesus?
The word that comes to my mind when I read your question is consistency. When we serve Christ, He is our foundation, and He is our consistency. That means whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, our character, integrity, and actions remain constant through Him. If our earthly bosses see that we are swayed by circumstance, and that it changes how we conduct ourselves, then it creates doubt that Christ is our foundation.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Thank you, Chris!
As I read your comment, your words prompted me to think about the word “integrity.” Integrity, after all, is simply being consistent in our values.
I think you kind of answer the question in your devotional itself – which was very good.
If we serve our earthly bosses because we revere Jesus and we are really serving Him – then it demonstrates our faith through our service. We become lights in a dark world that reveal a contrast between us and those with no faith. It becomes a testimony to our bosses and glorifies Christ. We are then living out Matthew 5: 14 – 16: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Thanks, Rich!
Well said! It is like we all work for a “temp agency.” If we don’t do a good job, we give the agency a bad name.
How does serving our earthly bosses reflect on our faith in Jesus?
Believers have been forgiven all sins and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to grow in Christ, called by God to remain in this world but not of this world. I would rephrase the question, “ How does our life in faith affect our serving our earthly bosses?”
Ephesians 6:7-8, Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 1:12, Romans 12:1
An interesting question during my life as a believer has been, “ Why are you different? “ My response has always been, “ what do you mean? “ And we would have a conversation.
As believers, our first priority must be growing in, becoming more like Christ so He will be seen in all we do.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:15
Thank you, Ron!
I love how you engage people with your questions!
“What do you mean?” is a valuable tool for opening minds!