ICS Daily Devotions
Honor Your Employer
1 Timothy 6:1-2 (NKJV) Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
Not all of us are called to be entrepreneurs and businessmen therefore we will most likely be working for someone. The Bible is very practical it its teaching on how we should behave serving Christian or non-Christian bosses/employers.
The above scripture teaches us that the boss/employer is worthy of all honor and those whom the Lord has placed us to work under are worthy of our respect. Learning to submit to the authority that God has placed over us is also a form of godliness.
Sometimes, we might not know how to control ourselves to ensure that we do not overstep the authority that God has placed over us, or to ensure that proper protocol is being observed so that we protect ourselves from unnecessary sufferings and sorrows through silly mistakes, words, behavior and decisions. Godliness is seen through our words and our behavior especially in the area of how we respect and honor our bosses.
1 Samuel 29:5(NKJV) Is this not David, of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?”
It is absolutely true that David excelled at the battle front and he couldn’t stop the crowd from celebrating his conquests. Yet David always acknowledged that King Saul was God’s anointed one even though he knew the ability that God had given him. Being wise also means that one should keep a low profile rather than outshining your boss by downplaying your significant contributions even though it is true. It will help us not to be a threat to someone who is insecure. We should also approach and tell those who constantly sing our praises to stop or tone it down. King Saul was a very insecure person who was threatened by David’s achievements and he wasn’t able to appreciate the asset that God had placed alongside him. He pursued to destroy David out of his insecurity. Insecurity will drive people to do silly things. It is more profitable that your boss appreciates you rather than to be threatened by you. It is more effective to work as a team and be a wonderful supporter. Promotion comes neither from the East nor the West but from the Lord. Bless those who persecute you and do not curse. Meanwhile, you don’t have to worry if someone is seeking to destroy you because God will tend to it. Learn from David who did nothing to King Saul despite of his efforts to kill him. He left King Saul in God’s hands. David was still promoted despite the challenges that he went through.
We have to honor our bosses whether they are Christians or non-Christians. In fact, it may be harder to work for a Christian boss because we may have certain expectations of them to adhere to biblical values and principles. We might bring more harm, sorrow and repercussion if we do not know how to manage our emotions, words and reactions toward certain decisions made by our bosses. It is important to be respectful and to give honor when honor is due. It is a form of protection that God has put in place.
Sermon Series: Balancing Godliness and Riches
