GODLINESS IN THE WORK PLACE 2
22 BONDSERVANTS, OBEY IN ALL THINGS YOUR MASTERS ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, NOT WITH EYESERVICE, AS MEN-PLEASERS, BUT IN SINCERITY OF HEART, FEARING GOD.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
25 BUT HE WHO DOES WRONG WILL BE REPAID FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE, AND THERE IS NO PARTIALITY."
Colossians 3:22-25 (NKJV)
"MASTERS, GIVE YOUR BONDSERVANTS WHAT IS JUST AND FAIR, KNOWING THAT YOU ALSO HAVE A MASTER IN HEAVEN."
Colossians 4:1 (NKJV)
God's reward
If you are doing the right thing, serving as to the Lord, wherever you find yourself working, you would be rewarded by God.
There is a way you would be compensated even if the person, your employer or boss, underhandedly or deceptively treated you.
And if you, the employee or servant, are the one who does wrong, you would also be repaid because the God we serve is a just God and there is no partiality with Him (Romans 2:11; Colossians 3:25).
There are some employees who work with levity, they have laid-back attitude to work, they would not work for the money they earn.
Some people have been put in charge of the affairs of an establishment, their goal was on how to wreck the business, swindle the person who put them there. The Bible says: "AND IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN FAITHFUL IN WHAT IS ANOTHER MAN'S, WHO WILL GIVE YOU WHAT IS YOUR OWN?" (Luke 16:12 NKJV)
The way you manage another person's business, organization or establishment, the same way you will do your own. And whatever you sow, that you will also reap (Galatians 6:7).
If you are working in a place and you are not seeking for the progress and growth of the place, that all you are after is the money you wanted to make and in your thought, If the place is wrecked or spoiled, you are less concerned; you are ready to move on and look for another place or job!
A believer should not have such a mindset, you should wish the owner of the business or organization well, you should not only think about your own interests (Philippians 2:3,4).
You should also not collude with others to steal and misappropriate the establishment's account and embezzle money (Ephesians 4:28; Titus 2:10).
When you get involved in a shady deal where you are working or find yourself, the money you earn or make there would be turned to gravels in your mouth—it is a spiritual law.
A believer should not be involved in any shady deal, stealing or thieving, because there is a curse on whoever does it (Zechariah 5:4; Titus 2:10).
The truth is, If unbelievers get involved in any act of unrighteousness and underhandedness and seemed to go Scot free, you as a believer might not, because the devil would want to put you to shame, and would want to have it as an occasion or opportunity to slander God and His Kingdom because of your act of unfaithfulness and unrighteousness—the devil is the accuser of brethren (Revelation 12:10).
Having said that; Apostle Paul, the writer of the epistle, talking in the same vein, says: "MASTERS, GIVE YOUR BONDSERVANTS [employee] WHAT IS JUST AND FAIR, KNOWING THAT YOU ALSO HAVE A MASTER IN HEAVEN" (Colossians 4:1 NKJV).
If you are an employer of labour and you are maltreating those who are working for you, you should remember that you also have a master in heaven (Colossians 1:4).
If you are an employer and you are not treating the people who are working for you well, one of the things you will notice is that, you would be experiencing a lot of sorrows.
Things that would devour your money would always happen to you:
a. Being a victim of armed robbery, or disasters like inferno, flood or volcano.
b. You might see yourself play into the hands of dupers, and your business or organization is affected badly as a result of it.
c. And in your home front, you may have a reason to be spending money on your children's or spouse's or personal health.
d. Your may also be experiencing lost of items or valuable things, in addition with other devastating things happening to you.
When you are out to cheat and maltreat others with what you have, your wealth, a lot of unfortunate things would be your experience:
1 COME NOW, YOU RICH, WEEP AND HOWL FOR YOUR MISERIES THAT ARE COMING UPON YOU! 2 YOUR RICHES ARE CORRUPTED, AND YOUR GARMENTS ARE MOTH-EATEN. 3 YOUR GOLD AND SILVER ARE CORRODED, AND THEIR CORROSION WILL BE A WITNESS AGAINST YOU AND WILL EAT YOUR FLESH LIKE FIRE. YOU HAVE HEAPED UP TREASURE IN THE LAST DAYS. 4 INDEED THE WAGES OF THE LABOURERS WHO MOWED YOUR FIELDS, WHICH YOU KEPT BACK BY FRAUD, CRY OUT; AND THE CRIES OF THE REAPERS HAVE REACHED THE EARS OF THE LORD OF SABAOTH [Hosts]. 5 YOU HAVE LIVED ON THE EARTH IN PLEASURE AND LUXURY; YOU HAVE FATTENED YOUR HEARTS AS IN A DAY OF SLAUGHTER. 6 YOU HAVE CONDEMNED, YOU HAVE MURDERED THE JUST; HE DOES NOT RESIST YOU" (James 5:1-6 NKJV).
What Apostle James describes in the above passage is always the lot of an employer or a master who maltreated those who are working for him or her. There is this law of retribution or payback, that whatever you do, either good or bad, you would surely be paid back or retributed or recompensed (Galatians 6:7).
Thus, If you are guilty of what is shared in this piece, either as an employer or employee, repent and right your wrongs that you may receive God's mercy.
Peace.