Bosses are favorite whipping boys, or girls. It’s tough as, Gene Veith points out, to be a boss, at least it should be and especially a Christian boss. Most bosses have people they supervise, but they are usually responsible to someone else too. So they have a duty to serve their boss as they would serve Christ, as discussed in an earlier post. In Ephesians 6:9 Paul puts it to “masters”: “And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening; knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him”. (KJV)
Calls to mind marriage vows. Ideally, the wife is to respect her husband, and the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church? How did Jesus love the church? He suffered and gave His life for the church in a very graphic and dreadful way. There’s no middle ground, for anyone. Do it to the death or not at all.
There were more protections in the Roman Empire for slaves than what we would normally assume, still masters could make life very difficult for slaves and while it might cost them some money, a slave could die with only slight notice or consequence. As a husband serves his wife up to the death, sometimes a boss has to serve his/ her employees to the extreme in order to be a Christian boss that exemplifies Christ.
A master is to remember that he has a Master too. As Dr Veith points out, a master should see Christ in his “servants”. Do you really think it’s a good idea to abuse Jesus in your servants? Since we will all be held accountable, we should remember that we will be judged according to how we treat anyone and especially employees.
I’ve had my share of bad bosses in the private sector, it was an experience that hung over me at work, I took home with me, and I’m sure I wasn’t the most pleasant husband and father. It often seemed as if you were walking on a tightrope, while walking over eggs.
Having said that, while it may seem to be a sweet deal to be the boss, it’s difficult to do it well. It’s even more difficult as a Christian. We have to be Christ in all our roles. Are we going to do it as well? No. But as a boss/master, we have to do our best to witness to those who report to us who Christ is. This doesn’t mean, necessarily, some kind of evangelistic discussion (but if the opportunity arises, there might be risks, but you might be showing someone eternal life). It does mean not giving people an excuse to disregard Christ because their Christian boss was not a Christlike boss.
If your boss is trying to live out Christ in his workplace and his role, support him/her, do what you can to encourage. He/she might not be your favorite person, but don’t you have a duty to love your brother or sister?
I know this is short notice, but let’s talk about it tomorrow, Wednesday, 10am at First St Johns 140 W King St, downtown York, there’s parking right behind the church.