Establishing a Chain of Command
Q: Have you ever had a boss who was harsh in words and hard to deal with? How did you respond?
As we talked about in God’s design for parenthood, one truth of life is that we are all obedient to something. Teachers obey their principal. Principals obey the school board. The school board obeys the State’s laws, and they obey the voters. That’s true in companies, as well. Even the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company obeys the board of directors or stockholders. A small company must obey the demands of their customer base. So, in the workplace circle of life, everyone is an employee, and everyone is an employer. The intent is to create a way to resolve conflict, by putting the final decision in the hands of one person. So, when God designed the world, he first established a chain of command of all of Earth’s creatures.
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28 HCSB)
God designed man to be at the top of the food chain. We were to subdue it, in fact. Everything on the earth, including what was in the sea and in the air, was to be under our rule. But we always need to remember that God is the one who’s really in charge. After all, even though man had the task to work the land, God was the one who really provided food to eat. So, it’s all possible thanks to Him.
“This food will be for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth – everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food.” (Genesis 1: 29b-30 HCSB)
How To Be a Boss
One of the things that makes someone a bad boss is when they lord their position over someone. When God talked to Adam about the food he made for us on earth, He made sure Adam knew that the food was for everyone. The intent of our role as a ruler was to not be a cruel ruler, dominating and controlling others by denying their role on the planet. Man was meant to rule, but with love and consideration. This reminder that the food supply was for everyone was only 2 verses after telling Adam that he was to rule over them. This shows the way we are meant to manage. We see it in the house, as well.
“In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” (Ephesians 5: 28 HCSB)
God established a chain of command in our own homes, placing the husband at the top. Yet, that role was to take care of and love his wife, not use his power over her. Similar verses are found in 1 Peter 3:7 and Colossians 3:18-19. All 3 bible verses establish the husband as the leader of the house, and equally established the wife as one the husband is to respect and love. 1 Peter 3:7 says, “…yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life” (HCSB). Though the chain of command is clear, so is the role of the leader. Above all else, lead in love.
We are also reminded that even when we are in charge, we still need to obey God. When God’s appointed leaders, like Moses, Joshua, and David, started following their own plans, God humbled them. Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land because of the sin that happened under his watch as leader. Again, even those in charge are still ultimately held accountable to God’s rule. This is also seen with Adam, after Eve’s sin.
“And He said to Adam, ‘Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, Do not eat from it: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:17 HCSB)
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you face when leading others? Do you lead in love or in power?
How To Be an Employee
There are few times in life when your faith is tested more than when you are an employee under a bad boss. I’ve been there, and it’s not easy. I had a boss once who was very divisive. She had convinced some employees that if they would listen in on conversations out on the floor and report back to her what they heard, then she would improve their positions in the company. It got to the point where people would listen in on conversations out in the smoking area and report back to her. We lost several good employees in that stretch, each of them leaving specifically because of the toxic environment this had created. I, myself, quickly put my resume out there, joining the mass exodus. During that time, I struggled with thoughts of disobedience of her leadership, gossiping, and anger. But through it, I learned trust and faith, knowing that God would take care of me. Sure enough, He not only found me a better position at a different company, but one at a better pay rate as well, helping me to take better care of what was about to become a growing family.
Q: When you are in a bad work situation, do you wait for God’s lead, or do you try and take over the situation on your own?
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from being in this situation?
“Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience.” (Romans 13: 5 HCSB)
In all situations, we are expected to react in a way that brings honor to God. Being disobedient is not how God wants us to live, whether we are in a good work situation or a bad one. The above quote from Romans 13 was immediately followed by a reminder for us to pay our taxes, as we are supposed to. This form of humility and obedience is a showing of trust in God’s plan for our lives. Our obedience to God’s design for our lives isn’t determined by our situation. It’s determined by our faith and trust in Him in all things. Even the bad.
The other part of that verse talks about reacting based on our conscience. Thanks to the Spirit, we know right and wrong instinctively. So, react based on it. Be obedient, but not to the expense of God’s design for how we are supposed to act. The Old Testament is full of stories of God’s people who refused to bend their conscience, based on God’s design for their lives. The book of Daniel is a good example, who ate fruit instead of the king’s feast. In each case, these men were rewarded for their faith.
Finally, be the Light that Jesus calls us to be. This will not only have a big impact on our bosses, but also on our fellow co-workers, who might be struggling with the same situation. Live life in a way that honors God, so that we might be bring him the Glory. This is true in the good, and the bad.