No matter where you work, you have to be subject to authority. That’s the way God made the world. On the job, that would be your boss. If you’re a student, it would mean your teachers or the school administration. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, your leader is your husband. If you’re the boss, you still have to answer the authority of the government.
Ephesians 6:5-7 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.
The economy of labor is obviously different today from when this was written. But this speaks to anyone who works under the authority of someone else. The phrase “respect and fear” does not refer to physical fear, but is an idiom for showing deference and respect. This has two practical applications.
- Integrity: You do your job even when no one is watching you. You work just as hard when you’re alone as when others can see.
- Whole-heartedness: You work with enthusiasm. You put your heart into your work.
For Christians, we respect our leaders at work because we aren’t ultimately working for them, but for a greater leader. We’re really serving Jesus by our labor. The respect we show to human leaders is a reflection of the respect we have for Jesus.
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Who are the authorities in your working life? What do you think it means to serve them “with deep respect and fear”?
- Tell a story about someone you have worked with who worked really hard at not working. (No names, please.)
- What should you do if a leader is not worthy of respect?
- If you are in a position of leadership, what can you do to encourage your workers to work whole-heartedly?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
