Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing God’s will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people. (Ephesians 6:6-7)
I recently watched my two young grandsons while their parents were away overnight. I expected the parents to return home about 3 pm in the afternoon. I wanted them to come home to an organized home with happy children. They arrived ahead of schedule, at 2:35pm! The baby was asleep and I was playing a game with the older grandson. Yea – things were good when they arrived, even unexpectedly!
I think that we all want to be “caught” doing something good. Whether it is a boss or co-worker, your spouse, a neighbor, your pastor – we want others to think well of us because they see us when we are doing something good. In this passage, Paul instructs the believers, “Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing God’s will from your heart” (Eph 6:6). Do we forget that God is always with us and he knows the productive things, along with the foolish things that we do? While we might be able to make a good impression on others, we can’t trick God.
What does it mean to be a slave of Christ? Slavery has horrible images in the American mind. However, a slave of Christ will be treated well, not beaten or abused. A good slave with a good master, will faithfully work to do the master’s will, with a heart’s desire to please the master. The slave will do what is asked and even more because of love for the Master. Can we approach all of our jobs with the awareness that we are “God’s slave?” Not as “people-pleasers” as Paul warns, but freely “doing God’s will from your heart.”
Jesus affirms that as we work for others, we are truly working for him in Matt. 25:40. “‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Go and work with all your might, knowing that you have a Wonderful Master, who sees you and rewards you.