Who Wants To Be The Boss?

Ephesians 6:9

Earl was one of the county road department supervisors. He was constantly yelling at the guys, cussing them out and threatening to get rid of them. In the six months I worked for the county, I realized his crew was in constant turmoil. Guys would refuse to go out to the job with him, even quitting to keep from having to go. One employee became so angry he tried to kill him by hitting him in the head with a rock, and another tried to run over him with a truck.

One of the truck drivers would work with him until he got tired of his constant anger and yelling. When he’d had enough, he’d pop the clutch on break the drive shaft on his truck. It would take a couple of weeks to get the parts in and the truck repaired, and until it was fixed he’d be sent with another crew.

We were doing a special project, and Earl was put in charge of that crew. I was assigned to learn to run some special equipment, but none of the crew had done the particular type work. Every time he wanted something changed, Earl would start yelling. Since you couldn’t understand what he was saying above the machine noise, the entire crew would look to see what he was yelling about. Because we were distracted, the flow of work would be disturbed, which would make him angry, and he’d start cussing at the ones who messed up.

By the end of the day, the entire crew was so keyed up they were constantly making mistakes, and after about three days, I asked to forget learning to run the machine, as I was unable to focus on running it. One of the other guys asked me how I’d managed to stay so long. Everyone else had quit the after their first day. As he pointed out, when Earl had to go back to the office for a couple hours on the second day, the job ran smoothly, until he returned. The County finally gave earl early retirement in an effort to reduce the conflict.

Paul warns that such behavior by an employer or boss is unacceptable. “And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.” (Ephesians 6:9) That boss or employer is working for God, and will be held accountable for the way he manages his crew. The boss has the same responsibility treat his employees with respect as they do to him. Being the boss does not free him from his responsibility.

Labor is a major expense on many jobs, and many employers are looking to cut labor expenses. We are warned not to under pay our employees in Colossians 4:1. “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.” Ultimately, we are accountable to God for how we have treated the employees, and will be judged for treating them unfairly. God will not bless a business which takes unfair advantage of people. James describes what happens.

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” (James 5:1-4)

God will cause the income to lose value, until the business is struggling to profit despite their efforts to make extra money. It is a key principle that has been ignored by many in our day, but it is the basic promise of the Old Testament, that God would bless financially when Israel obeyed him in such areas. Paul warns that the greed which causes one to cheat leads to sin, and eventually destruction.

“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” (I Timothy 6:8-11)

As Christians, we are to be walking in the Spirit rather than the flesh, and when we are, we will be characterized by a spiritual attitude, revealing the fruit of the Spirit, rather than by carnal actions.