Eph 6:5-8 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, (6) not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, (7) rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, (8) knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.
Living for the Lord should be the objective of every Christian believer. How we live our life is a reflection of whether or not we are true servants of Christ. Paul instructs us, as servants, to obey our earthly masters with fear and trembling with sincerity of heart as though we are obeying Christ himself.
Back in the day Paul wrote this, slavery was not what we would think of slavery to be in our recent history. It was similar to what we would equate employees today. Though not exactly the same, it is enough of a comparison that these verses are well understood today to help us understand our role when it comes to our position under the authority of a master or “employer.” As we are placed into a position to serve a person, a small business, or a large corporation, we need to remember that we are ultimately serving Christ. Many people believe that full time ministry is for the missionary, the pastor, or the church leader. But in the Bible, there is no distinction between a secular job and a sacred job… as followers of Christ, whether in the church or in the community, we are to reflect Christ in the way we work. Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians, 1Co 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
When we approach our job with fear and trembling, it isn’t a fear of the man or woman God has placed over us, but a fear of offending the Lord in how we represent him in our work. When we perform at top notch when we are being watched and then slack in our performance when we are alone we are not representing Christ in an honest and appropriate manner. Though we may have differences with those God has put over us in leadership, we are to do the will of God with the right heart.
For many years I spent time on the railroad working for some of the most difficult men I know. They are hard as steel in their hearts and their main objective is to find ways to make bigger profits faster. When I was hired on I knew this to be the case, but also knew that the wage they were paying would make up for some of the challenges. Over time I had to make a choice to either give into the frustration of working for such a company, or rise above it and reflect the love of Christ in my work. I may not receive the reward in this life for doing my work unto the Lord, in fact, I may receive more challenges in the workplace, but we are told in verse 7 that whatever good anyone does he will receive back from the Lord.
When we are under the “bondage” of a master, we are called not to grumble and complain, but to obey as unto the Lord. Men and women who employ us and direct our day to day living can be difficult to follow, but when we remember that it is the Lord we are serving and he will reward us, then we are able to to d so with fear and trembling knowing that the blessing that comes from the Lord in our future glory far surpasses anything we will receive here on earth.