Every employee has wished for a better boss. What’s less common is the employee himself wishing he were a better employee. That’s certainly what the boss is wishing for: someone honest, hardworking, and respectful even when no one’s watching. Most workplaces run on this quiet tug-of-war.

Apostle Paul steps into that tension in 1 Timothy 6:1-2. He tells Christian bondservants, which by principle extends to employees today, to regard their masters as worthy of full respect so that God’s name and teaching aren’t slandered (v1). They are to treat their bosses well, even with utmost respect.

And that relationship doesn’t change when your boss is a Christian also. An employee should never take advantage of their shared faith. We shouldn’t look to be treated better or with more leniency or grow casual with them in the workplace. No, because they are “brothers,” the employee should serve that boss even better, since they not only serve that boss but love that boss (v2).

Beloved, the gospel doesn’t erase the boss-employee relationship. It transforms it. Respect and your best effort are given as an act of worship to God. It’s not about a paycheck alone. It’s love in action.

You may still wish for a better boss. But your boss just might get better when you become a better employee, a more godly contributor.

Change begins in you!