Today is October 16th, national Boss’s Day.

So, who’s the boss in your life? Is it the CEO of a company? Maybe you’d say that your spouse seems to be your boss? If you’re a child, it may be your parent, or a teacher. Perhaps you work for yourself and you are your “own boss”?

I think when we use the word “boss” in our society, it comes with a bit of a negative connotation, doesn’t it? (Unless we ourselves own the title and bask in the privileges of being “THE BOSS”.) We often think of someone who is putting pressure on us, telling us what to do, and scrutinizing our work. Someone that we have to answer to. And we don’t like to have to answer to anyone.
No matter who we are, we have someone to answer to. (Yes, even top CEO’s of large companies have to answer to the law, and even if they can buy off the legal system, let’s be realistic and realize that we ALL have to answer to God! 2 Corinthians 5:10).

In Colossians chapter 3, Paul gives us “instructions for a Christian household.” He tells wives and husbands how to get along; how children and their parents should interact with each other and….believe it or not, He tells us how to treat our bosses in the workplace:

“Slaves (employees), obey your earthly masters (bosses) in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.” Colossians 3:22-25

God was talking about literal ‘slaves’ in Colossians because slavery was central to the life and economy of the ancient world – it was their normal way of life. That is no longer the accepted way of life in our modern age, but the employee/employer relationship and the modern day workplace sure fits right into it’s place on the pages of Colossians, doesn’t it? How often do people ‘brown nose’ in front of the boss, just to talk smack about them behind their back? Or how often are people using company time to meet their ‘soulmate’ on match.com or to play Candy Crush when the boss isn’t looking, instead of working to earn their fair wage and giving their boss a fair day of work? Well, no one is perfect, and I’m sure that we all have had bosses who are not worthy of respect, but God is calling us to a higher standard — He’s telling us to do WHATEVER we do as though we’re working for the Lord, rather than for a person. Wow, those are some pretty bold words. And pretty humbling, if you ask me.

So I challenge you today: go and buy your boss a little present, or a card and actually MEAN what you say. Even if you don’t personally care for that boss, look at what you do as if you were doing it for the Lord.

Happy Boss’s Day!!

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