I don’t know about you, but I have worked for more people, companies, and churches over the course of my short life on this earth than I can readily remember at this exact moment. I have had jobs ranging from grocery store clerk, waiter, and telemarketer to things like security forces in the Air Force, pastor, assistant general manager, and operations support manager. In all these positions I have had the pleasure and sometimes the pain of working for just about every type of personality, quirk, and unrealistic set of expectations imaginable when it comes to bosses and those in authority over me.
In every job, over time, it seemed I would invariably be presented with the overwhelming temptation to throw myself a pity party concerning the way I was treated, the work load, the expectations, the lack of recognition and appreciation, absence of promotion, etc… I never seemed to lack an excuse to become disgruntled or unsettled in some way by my circumstances and I often blamed those in authority over me. As a result, my performance would suffer. Because I perceived that I was being given less than I deserved, I would find myself giving less to the responsibilities delegated to me.
Before you judge me, understand that I did not necessarily do this consciously. It would begin subtly in my heart, then my mind, followed by my attitude, and finally showing up in my actions or lack of action. In certain cases I did not realize until after the fact how I had allowed this chain reaction to take place. Years after becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, I came across a passage of scripture that has forever altered the way I view my work and my relationships with bosses and authorities. It goes like this:
22 Servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not only when their eyes are on you as pleasers of men, but in simplicity of purpose [with all your heart] because of your reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression of your devotion to Him. 23 Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, 24 Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah). 25 For he who deals wrongfully will [reap the fruit of his folly and] be punished for his wrongdoing. And [with God] there is no partiality [no matter what a person’s position may be, whether he is the slave or the master]. –Colossians 3:22-25 (AMP)
In this passage I was confronted with the truth that no matter what my earthly job is or who my earthly boss is, I always work for the same boss (Master) everywhere I go. As a follower of Jesus, I work for and am accountable to Him. God directs my steps and knows every day of my life before it happens. He knows where I will work and whose authority and direction I will work under. Scripture tells me that:
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. –Psalm 139:16 (NLT)
God is not surprised by my circumstances, who my boss is, where I work etc…In fact, His plan for my life includes all of these times, seasons, jobs, and people. His will is that I work “heartily” or “from the heart” for Him and not for people. God sees and cares about all my work. None of my effort, sweat, or pain escapes His notice. He is my boss and no matter where I find myself, I work for Him. When an earthly “master” (boss) overlooks me, my higher boss does not. It is impossible for me to miss out on any truly good promotion or recognition if I am faithful to do my best at all times for the One to whom I am ultimately accountable.
It is an empowering thing to realize that even if my supervisor overlooks me, I have a personal connection to the CEO of the universe. I know the owner of everything. I have the ear of the one who can pull all the strings and make anything happen. If I please Him, there are no limits to where I can go. This revelation makes all the other challenges feel appropriately smaller and less significant.
The key is learning to do what you do “from the heart”. It is not enough to go through the outward motions with a heart full of bitter poison and frustration. God always works on the heart first and the fruit of changed thinking and behavior follows after. Today, take a moment and ask God to begin a work in your heart towards those in authority over you. Ask Him to help you grasp the truth about who you really work for. Meditate today on the fact that you know the CEO and the CEO knows you. Work for Him today!
Burn the Ships 