How do we deal with Christian employers and employees relationships when the company or boss doesn’t do as promised?
It’s hard to know the situation in every case that this may happen. Sometimes the boss, even though he or she may be a Christian, has no say over what the Corporation does. In such cases, the boss cannot be faulted because they have no control over company policy.
If the boss is the owner of the company, then they do have a say in its policies and actions. They are then responsible for what happens to the employees. They have a say in making those policies.
But even if the Christian owner has complete control of the company, that does not guarantee that he or she will know or follow biblical principles for dealing with the employees. The Bible lays out these principles in places like Ephesians 6:5-9.
The master/slave relationship that Paul addresses was much like our employee/employer relationship today. Many people don’t realize this but slaves were usually paid a small wage for their work. This is why it resembles our current relationship of employer/employee.
Paul does not enforce an absolute standard. He only reminds slaves (or employees) that Jesus is watching their work and they shouldn’t only try to please their bosses when they’re looking. He also reminds masters (or employers) that they have the same Lord as the slaves.
If God is the ultimate Judge, the way employers treat their employees and vice versa matters very much to him. If they do not treat one another with Christian brotherly love, the Lord will judge them at the end of time.
That may console us in the long term but what do we do about the way Christian employers and companies treat their employees right now? They put the employees in a very fragile place. While the employers may have the cash flow to keep themselves and their family safe, it is not so for the employee.
The Bible commands believers in Jesus to forgive others for offenses against them. If they left you without a source of income and other ways to survive until you find another job, forgiveness is the farthest thing from your mind.
But this is what God requires of us as Christians. Jesus was wronged more than anyone else past, present, and future. If he could forgive the ones who put him on the cross, we can forgive whatever happens to us.
Looking for other employment is your next step. You must provide for yourself and your family. Ask the Lord to give you divine appointments that will guarantee employment. He will guide you in your search for another source of income. God provides for all of his children, sometimes in miraculous ways. The Bible teaches us to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:11-13).
Finally, perhaps you can find out why you were not treated the way you should have been by the Christian employer. There may be extenuating circumstances. The company may have been liquidated, and there may not be any funds to give before the company was dissolved.
Whatever the case may be, you may be able to work it out with the employer, or at least know why you were terminated or the company did not protect you.
The Bible does not recommend that Christians sue one another (1 Corinthians 6:1-9). Paul encourages Christians to deal with matters between themselves or suffer the wrong that was done.
Matthew 18:15-20 also has instructions on how to deal with matters between Christians. It presents a three-step process of individually addressing the situation, taking witnesses in addressing the situation, and taking it to the church if nothing else can be done. Other than these steps, in the here and now, there may be no justice for you.
Christian employees that have been wronged have several options within the church. But they are not advised to go to the world and present their cases there. Of course, this is not always followed but it is what the Bible prescribes for such situations. Ultimately, God will judge and those who are wronged will be given justice in the end.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
