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            Our general conduct, speech, arriving on time, and our everyday work habits may be the only witness for Christ our unbelieving co-workers will ever see, and we do witness for the Lord when we carry through with the employer’s wishes Ephesians 6:5 “with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.”  God’s will is to 7 “serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord.”

            We are actually working for the Lord—so with that in mind, we should and would conduct ourselves and carry through with our work, much differently than an unbeliever.  We are to follow the Word at our place of employment.  Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”

            Doing our work with sincerity of heart means having a right attitude concerning our boss—arriving at work on time; getting busy without wasting time; not taking unscheduled breaks; treating the boss and other employees as we would want them to treat us; putting forth our best effort; and always producing quality work as God gives us the skills we need to be an asset to the company.

            The worst attitudes are seen in unbelievers—especially those joining labor unions.  Such groups are controlled by the devil and will openly defy their employer.  Even public service employees—school teachers, transit workers, and others who serve the public, will do whatever the union says—showing no kindness or consideration toward the people they are supposed to serve.  Actually, they serve only themselves and their greed for more money or benefits.

            Joining a labor union is deliberately taking the rebellious attitude that Adam and Eve took when they followed their own way to obtain a better life.  They disobeyed God, as union workers disobey the Scriptures by seeking revenge, demanding higher pay, insisting on pensions, and even resorting to violence if the conditions of their contract are not met.

            Any employee would want to be paid a reasonable wage; enjoy pleasant conditions, and be given reasonable hours, but these matters are to be placed before God in prayer and in faith—not before the manager in anger and rebellion.  If any of these benefits are obtained outside the will and Word of God, it will prove to be a serious mistake, with far more serious results, if not corrected.

            The Atonement of Christ gives us a scriptural right to approach God in prayer, on our knees, and placing employment problems before Him in faith.  We are to trust God for everything in life—and employment issues are definitely included—things such as, our attitude toward the boss; our wage, and the conditions at the workplace.  The sin of Adam was depending on himself instead of trusting on God.  Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way.”

            Unbelievers demand higher pay, improved conditions, better pensions, increased benefits, or more paid vacations.  They often threaten to quit, or resort to force, if these issues are not addressed—it is rebellion against the Scriptures and God who inspired the writing of them.  The believer is to have an opposite attitude as an unbeliever—first, we are thankful that God has promised to do these things for us—if we will trust Him to do them.

            Those in the world always think of ways to get back at unreasonable employers, but this is opposite to Scripture—Romans 12:19 “Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”  Worldly employees use every means possible to get revenge on those they feel have wronged them.

            The scriptural attitude of the employee toward their employer is what the apostle wrote 1 Peter 2:18-19 “be submissive to your masters, and show them the utmost respect—not only if they are kind and thoughtful, but also if they are unreasonable.  It is an acceptable thing with God, if, from a sense of duty to Him, a man patiently submits to wrong, when treated unjustly.”

            When we consider what Jesus did for us, then obeying our boss is not asking too much 1 Peter 2:21-23 “because Christ also suffered on your behalf, leaving you an example so that you should follow in His steps.  He never sinned, and no deceitful language was ever heard from His mouth.  When He was reviled, He did not answer with reviling; when He suffered He uttered no threats, but left His wrongs in the hands of the righteous Judge.”  The unrighteous take their wrongs to court.

            The sin nature that had controlled our attitude, is no longer in control because Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me; and the life which I now live in the body I live through faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up to death on my behalf.”

            We are free from and have exited from those worldly attitudes that demand employee rights.  It is a burden to carry around the baggage of unscriptural attitudes.  1 Peter 2:24 “The burden of our sins He Himself carried in His own body to the Cross and bore it there, so that we, having died so far as our sins are concerned, may live righteous lives.”  A righteous life is only by a believing and acting faith in Jesus.

            The Holy Spirit enables us to submit patiently to harsh treatment—1 Peter 2:20 “when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”  The Lord commends us for meeting things right at work.  God approves when we work all day—even if the wages are low, the conditions unpleasant, the hours long, and co-workers disagreeable.  If our manager never thanks us, never says we are doing a good job, and never gives a pay increase, God approves and rewards—and that is what counts.

            When every work-related issue—every difficult task, overtime or holiday hours, added duties because of absent co-workers, or we are given no consideration by management—if we will meet these things scripturally and not complain about them, God will reward us many times over.

            We are to separate ourselves from worldly attitudes and actions—especially if a coworker wants us to join them in demanding changes, or insisting on a pay increase.  The sin nature wants to demand improvements, resign a job, or force higher wages, but the divine nature is willing to give all those issues over to God in prayer, and in faith, for His solution.

            As a witness for Christ, we should give first preference to other workers—whether a believer or an unbeliever.  Abraham gave first choice of the best land to his nephew; and we are called to do the same—giving first choice of hours, duties, and vacation weeks to others.  That is obeying Scripture Philippians 2:3 “In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

            If we will take a scriptural attitude on such things, God will reward us as He did Abraham.  God said to Abram Genesis 13:14-15 “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west.  All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”

            When we obey the Word first, God is able to bless us second.  If we will meet things scripturally, God will see that we are blessed with reasonable hours, pleasant conditions, increased pay, and more than enough vacation.

            If the believer is a subcontractor and setting prices for services, they should charge a reasonable and fair price—not the world’s price or going rate—which is an inflated rate due to theft, insurance costs, damaged tools, and other issues that are not issues with a believer.

            The person hiring the subcontractor is the boss—for the duration of that job, and the believer should do the work for this individual with the same attitude as if working for a business firm.  If the customer wants the job completed by a certain time, the believer is to do everything possible to do it.  If the customer does not pay, is difficult to deal with, or holds back any money, we are to place the matter in God’s hands to stay.

            Asking a high price for services, because of possible problems with the job, is creating our own financial insurance protection.  Setting a high price as protection from possible problems is unbelief—since we should have asked God in prayer to control every aspect of the work, to protect us from problems, and to have the job go smoothly.

            In setting prices, a worldly contractor considers the cost of liability insurance, possible accidents, damaged tools, theft of materials, etc.—but those things are not to be considered by the believer.  God’s divine power is the believing worker’s divine assurance of protection from loss.

            Whether working for a large company, a small business, self-employed, or having other believers working for us, a true believer must pray every day for divine wisdom, so they can conduct themselves in a Christ-like way; to treat everyone as they would want to be treated—always completing tasks as if working for the Lord.

            We should Philippians 2:14-15 “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”  Doing our work without grumbling is being a witness for Jesus.  When we work without complaining, we just prove that we are a child of God and working for the Lord.

            If Jesus asked us to do something, we would do it—gladly.  We are to do our work with the same attitude and enthusiasm—even if the pay is low, the work hard, and the boss difficult.  Not many worldly employees serve their worldly employer faithfully, honestly, or well—but we are to be different, and always shine the light of God’s Truth!

            We are to be conscientious in doing our work Ephesians 6:6-7 “not be in acts of eye-service as if you had but to please men, but as Christ’s bondservants who are doing God’s will from the heart.  With right good will, be faithful to your duty as service rendered to the Lord and not to man.”

            The results of following the Scriptures are always worth reviewing—1 Peter 2:20 “If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”  That is why we follow the Scriptures on employment issues—God accepts us when we do—because 1 Peter 2:21 “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

            We should pray every day to be protected from unscriptural attitudes, and to reject any worldly ways to improve conditions, increase wages, or avenge wrongs.  Jesus said John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life.”  What a reward that is—for doing our work according to the Scriptures and witnessing for Jesus.