Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ
What do you do? That is a question that is usually meant to enquire about your occupation. What do you do for a living? Do you like what you do for a living? There is a difference between “making a living” and “making a life.” We all wish to do one and not the other, but sometimes we are not doing much more than making a living because we are not doing much more than simply passing time, fulfilling an obligation, or serving some boss. You know, how you serve indicates whom you serve.
In Ephesians 6, the Bible is talking to those who are believers, those who are followers of God as dear children would be. In verse 5 Paul says, “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ.” Notice he says that the relationship is in regards specifically to “masters according to the flesh.” In other words, these are masters who have flesh, who have bodies. Is there any other kind? Yes! There is a far more prominent master if you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the Lord.
So, whatever your occupation, your response to those who are in authority over you and who have bodies is supposed to be an indication of our service to a God Who is transcendent, the God Who is in us and with us. We are to serve with fear and trembling. That just means we are to serve in eagerness and sincerity of heart as unto Christ.
The bottom line is how you serve indicates whom you serve. In the first place, your attitude is an indication of this. Verse 6 says, “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” Twice here he emphasizes that our service is as unto Christ, “as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God.” In verse 6 he talks about the will of God. In verse 7 he talks about good will, “with good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not to men.”
So, our attitude indicates whom we are serving. If we are just serving a boss, then what happens is that we are eager to serve when he is watching. That is “eyeservice as menpleasers.” We are doing what is right only so long as the person over us is watching us. When I serve God, I realize that He is always watching and always with me. So, my attitude indicates ultimately whom I am serving.
Your motivation indicates whom you are serving. Verse 8 says, “Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” So, my reward ultimately is not from some manager, CEO, or boss. Ultimately, my service is to the Lord. So, my motivation should be that however small or grand my task may be on its own, it is made more noble because I am serving Christ in this world. I may have a rotten boss or a great boss, but over that person is the Lord.
Finally, your perspective indicates whom you serve. Verse 9 says, “And ye masters.” Now he is talking to those who are calling the shots. He continues, “Do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.” So, the perspective is that the chain of command doesn’t end with you. It goes much higher, all the way to Heaven.
It is interesting to note that in verse 5 it says to serve those that we can see in flesh and blood with respect, eagerness, and fear. Then in verse 9 it says that such people in charge are to lead “forbearing threatening.” So, I am to give respect; I am not to give threatening. What mediates between these two is the fact that there is a God in Heaven and He is not a respecter of persons. I don’t care how high or low you are. You are not impressing God. You cannot impress God with how low your job may be. You are speaking of a Lord Who came as a baby and was laid in a manger in a stable, Who showed great humility for us. This is the same Lord Who spoke the very worlds into existence. So, our perspective is that no matter whom we lead or serve, we have a Master also in Heaven.
This morning I read the story of a teacher in California who was fired because she refused to commit sin, to go against her conscience, to go against her Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. She said, “I realized I could not be a Christian and be a teacher.” That is tragic and shouldn’t be the case, but it came down to realizing that she could not serve God and serve in her school district at the same time because she was being asked to do something she could not do in service to Christ. Believers are not to be rebels but people of obedience, but this obedience is first and foremost to their Master, the Lord, the Leader in Heaven.
So, are you serving your boss today, or are you serving the Lord? If I am serving the Lord, I will do a lot better in serving the people in my life because how I serve indicates whom I serve.