We’ve covered the first two workplace fundamentals, but you can do both these and still hate your job.
You can put all your heart into your job and do your work for the Lord and still dread going to work.
Maybe your boss is a turd. Maybe she’s rude to you. Maybe she gave the job you deserved to her less-qualified friend. Or maybe one of your coworkers hurt your feelings or is difficult. Toxic work environments are usually less about toxins than they are about people.
I’m sure the slaves in Colossae to whom Paul was writing had good reasons to be offended by their masters. Who among us could say our workplace situation is worse than theirs? I can hear them now: “You don’t understand, my master beats me.” “He makes me work 18 hour days and pays me nothing.” “He took me away from my family and never let’s me see them.”
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The Christian workplace fundamentals are a package deal.
They are like a thee-legged stool; if you remove one of the legs the stool will fall over.
If you try to just apply the first fundamental without the other two, it will improve your workplace experience, but your effort will be unsustainable.
Why you can’t sustain the effort. If you attempt to do your work with all your heart, you will be better at your job and will enjoy your job more for a while, but if your boss doesn’t notice, or gives you a performance review that doesn’t reflect your exemplary effort, or passes you over for that promotion, you will become discouraged. You will think, “Why should I keep working so hard, if my employer doesn’t notice or reward me for it?”
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This is the third in a six-part series on workplace fundamentals for Christian employees.
As I previously mentioned, the Apostle Paul sets forth the Christian workplace fundamentals in his letter to the Colossians. (Col. 3:23-25).
Paul does so in the context of the master/slave relationship because slavery was pervasive in the first century Roman Empire and because slaves made up a large part of the workforce.
The 1st fundamental. In addressing slaves, Paul sets forth the first workplace fundamental: Do your work with all your heart. Paul says it like this: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily.” (Col. 3:23). The word translated “heartily” literally means “from the soul.” In other words, Christian employees should do their work with all their heart, not merely punch a clock or go through the motions but pour their heart into their work. Continue reading…
The Christian workplace fundamentals are found in the third chapter of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
To grasp the full meaning of what Paul is saying, a little context is needed.
Paul is writing from jail in Rome in about 62 A.D. to a church in Colossae. And he gives some foundational advice to the Colossians regarding the most common relationships in society: husbands/wives (v. 18-19), parents/children (v. 20-21) and masters/slaves (v. 22-25).
It’s within the context of the master/slave relationship that Paul sets forth the Christian workplace fundamentals and, as I’ll explain, I believe there is a reason God in His sovereignty chose this master/slave relationship for the context of addressing Christian workplace fundamentals. Continue reading…
Perhaps you’ve been following the Greek debt crises.