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Series: Born to Work (Part 4), By Rosie Moore.
“There are things for humans to do all day long without His minding in the least – sleeping, washing, eating, drinking, making love, playing, praying, working. Everything has to be twisted before it’s any use to us” (CS Lewis).
Screwtape, a cunning devil, advises his nephew Wormwood on how to twist and distort good gifts like work so that instead of being a blessing, it becomes a curse. Our everyday work presents ample opportunities for good, but it also brings temptations for sin and disorder.
Two biblical concepts—Authority and Accountability—shape relationships in the workplace and provide guidance for navigating its challenges.
Authority.
As Creator and ruler of His world, God has designed a balance of human authority in various spheres—family, church, state, and workplace—each with its own jurisdiction. When we fulfil our roles within this framework, a good balance is achieved. But whenever we abandon God’s framework, we reap disorder.
In the workplace, employers are to exercise good leadership and impartiality. They are responsible for providing protection and direction to employees, opportunities for growth, disciplining wrongdoers, and praising those who do well. They are called to treat their employees justly and fairly, knowing that they also have a Master in heaven (Col 4:1; Eph 6:9).
On the other hand, employees are called to “be subject to [their] masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust” (1 Peter 2:18). They are to obey and serve their employers diligently “and do it, not only when their eye is on [them] and to curry favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord” (Colossians 3:22-23). Workers are to be “well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour” (Titus 2:9-10).
Although this model is not in vogue today, it is clearly God’s established order throughout Scripture and bears powerful witness to the gospel.
Accountability.
The Bible teaches that all human authorities are accountable to God in how they exercise their authority. Likewise, workers are accountable to God for their responses to authority. Authority and accountability are the two sturdy legs on which healthy workplace relationships stand.
The gospel’s message of equal obligation is a radical one that transforms the employment relationship for disciples of Christ. We see this in the earliest gospel pronouncements of the New Testament:
In Luke 3, John the Baptist provides real-life examples from the workplace to illustrate how to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). First, he urges believers who have abundant possessions to share with those who have nothing (Luke 3:10). Then, John instructs Christian tax collectors not to exploit their power for personal gain. He tells soldiers, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay” (Luke 3:14). Here, the evidence of true faith is seen in the context of work.
Similarly, Paul writes to believing slaves to improve their situation if it will honour God: “If you can gain your freedom, do so”. But just before, he says, “Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you” (1 Cor 7:21). The fruit of repentance is visible in both our diligence and contentment at work, and we will all answer to Christ, regardless of our role or position.
Often, it is in the pressure cooker of the workplace that our Christian character is tenderised, tested and put on exhibition for the world to see. Charles Spurgeon aptly captures this truth: “Grace makes us the servants of God while still the servants of men… It sanctifies the common duties of life by showing us how to perform them in the light of heaven.”
Paul urges both bondservants and masters to submit themselves to Christ as Lord. Knowing that we are servants of Christ is the greatest safeguard against temptation at work.
Servants of Christ.
“Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him” (Ephesians 6:5-9).
While God does not show partiality based on our rank or power, there are specific temptations that attach to our roles as employers and employees. Here are my top twelve:
Temptations at work.
1. Abuse of power: In Colossians 4:1, Paul instructs employers, “Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”
Those in positions of authority will always be tempted to treat workers as a means to an end, rather than as human beings made in the image of God. A Christian employer should exercise self-control, gentleness and consistency, mindful of the temptation to prioritize appearances over the Lord’s impartial eye (Ephesians 6:9). Favouritism is a common temptation for employers, which is why Paul emphasizes fairness.
2. Bad attitude: An employee should work with a willing, sincere heart, not just when the boss is around (Colossians 3:22). A complaining, entitled, or sullen spirit violates God’s instruction in Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
3. Workaholism: “Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6).
Though work is a good thing, any fixation other than God becomes an idol. Jesus said that if money is our master, then God is not (Matthew 6:24).
Workaholism often arises out of anxiety, fear, perfectionism and need for approval, but it is a sin which we need to confess and forsake before it takes hold. God knows our needs and has promised to provide (Matthew 6:25-34). One sure way to resist the idol of work is to observe a Sabbath every week, as it reminds us of our dependence on God’s provision. When we take a day of rest, we remember that Christ is the Lord and we are not (Ex 20:10.)
4. Slackness: “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys” (Proverbs 18:9).
Slackness is a subtle temptation. Solomon points out that negligence from a worker can destroy projects and relationships. A careless and apathetic attitude is hard to pin down, but it is contagious in an organisation and as dangerous as a deliberate act of sabotage. That’s why the Bible points us to the ways of the ant in our work (Prov 6:6-8). It is wise to build conscientious habits into our day to safeguard ourselves against slackness.
5. Envy and selfish ambition: “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16.) “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.” (Ex 20:17).
Envy and selfish ambition lead to discontent and rivalry at work. In a chapter titled “Trusting God for who you are”, Jerry Bridges exposes the sinful roots of envy in our vocations. His last sentence is profound—
“Just as we must trust God for who we are, we must also trust Him for what we are—whether it be an engineer or missionary, a homemaker or a nurse. If there is one area of life where the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” applies, surely it is the area of vocational calling and station in life. Someone has estimated that as many as eighty percent of our work force are dissatisfied with the jobs they are in. For many of us that may be due to a reluctance to be what God planned for us to be.”
6. Greed: “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Tim 6:9) “Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
God does not bless us in our work so that we can hoard our wealth or covet our neighbour’s greater wealth. Greed is a temptation that we all face as workers, rich and poor alike.
7. Withholding wages: “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (James 5:4)
Failure to pay a worker or supplier of services is an injustice against the Lord, “For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” and “the labourer deserves his wages”(1 Tim 5:18).
8. Corruption: “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel” (Prov 20:17) “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.” (Prov 11:1) “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them” (Prov 11:3). “Yet Samuel’s sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice” (1 Sam 8:3)
Samuel’s sons were appointed to be judges over Israel, but turned out to be corrupt, much like Eli’s sons (1 Sam 2:12). Today, it seems that corruption, collusion and ill-gotten gain are as prevalent as in Israel at the time of the Judges. A Christian upbringing is no guarantee of integrity, as Eli and Samuel discovered.
Because workers often stand at the coalface of corruption, parents and churches have an awesome responsibility to prepare our children to fear God and resist moral compromise at work. We must talk about these things with our children, preparing them to recognise and expose corruption when they encounter it.
9. Exploitation: “But you have eyes and ears only for your dishonest gain for shedding innocent blood and for practicing oppression and violence” (Jer 22:17).
God’s Old Testament laws gave the poor and vulnerable opportunities to improve their situation. They also revealed God’s anger towards those who take advantage of the needy (Deut 24:14-15; Lev 19:13). And so, we are not left guessing what God thinks of exploitation, bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace. These practices are vile and offensive to Him.
10. Brooding: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Ps 16:8).
Although our thought life is hidden from our work colleagues, it is a fertile soil for sin. Because of work’s thorns and thistles, we are often tempted to despair, to feel resentful or angry, to regret our failures and to judge the motives of others. When treated unfairly, we can quickly become a prisoner of our feelings. But Christians are called to capture every thought to the obedience of Christ, choosing to trust God rather than be ruled by our feelings. In 1 Peter 2:23, workers are urged to let go of injustice and entrust ourselves “to Him who judges justly and bore our sins on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”
11. Compromise: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).
As pressure mounts from lobby groups and policies in the name of ‘Reproductive Healthcare;’ ‘Environmental justice,’ and ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’, Christians will be tempted to compromise their faith in the workplace. Pride Month draws a sharp line in the sand for Christians, calling us not just to tolerate sin, but to celebrate and align ourselves with it.
The proposed Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill criminalises expressions deemed hate speech with a jail term of up to 8 years for offenders. But with no proper definition of “hate” and a subjective definition of “harm”, Christians in the workplace may face costly choices when pressured to violate God’s Word and their own conscience. Being Christ’s faithful servant at work may soon lead to more than just mockery, rejection and ridicule. Resisting compromise may result in dismissal, prosecution, fines and imprisonment.
12. Idleness: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us… For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thess 3:6, 10).
Idleness is one of the more subtle temptations that we face as Christian workers. Paul singles out this sin in both his letters to the Thessalonian believers, so it was evidently a cultural problem that had been normalised in the church. Join us next week to unpack the maxim: “If anyone does not work, he will not eat.”
Prayer.
Lord, in whatever we do, we trust that you have equipped us to fulfil your purpose. You determine the course of our lives, so help us not to squander our stewardship at work. Help us to take every opportunity to improve our situation in a way that will honour you, but at the same time to embrace whatever vocation we are in and to accept the situations we cannot change. Give us daily strength to work with all our hearts, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since we know that we will receive an inheritance from you as a reward. Give us eyes to see that it is the Lord Christ we are serving, not men. All glory be to Christ our King. Amen.
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