Take Jesus to Work

Ephesians 6:5-9

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

This passage raises some interesting questions. The first is this: why is slavely allowed in a Christian context? What do you think the answer is?

What we usually do, and what we will do this week, is apply the passage to contemporary work environments, which I think is a faithful application. Such an application has some pretty serious implications for whatever your position is in the workplace.

It seems to me that this passage could help our attitudes.

Paul is wanting the workplace, just like the home, to be a place where we show that we understand and live out the love of God. We are to be different. We are to be children of light.

What challenges do you find in the workplace?