22 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there will be no partiality. Colossians 3:22-25 (ESV)
Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow is famous for his “hierarchy of human needs,” portrayed as a pyramid. At the base are “physiological needs,” such as hunger and thirst. Once these are satisfied, one can move up to “safety needs,” “social needs (e.g., love), and “esteem needs,” such as recognition and status. At the pinnacle is “self-actualization.” The pyramid has become a popular guide for evaluating managers. It teaches that the good, smart boss provides not only the basics of life but also opportunities for self-fulfilment. This seems to be a Christian insight, but the spiritual danger of selfishness lurks in the scheme. Workers who insist that their employers build them stairs up Maslow’s pyramid will miss the deeper truth, that those who obsess over their own esteem and self-actualization are deluded.
Paul wrote to slaves whose chances for self-actualization in the workplace were remote. Of course, some slaves in the Roman world were respected civil servants, teachers, and doctors. A few household slaves enjoyed better living conditions than the free citizens of the empire, who toiled as tenant farmers on wealthy estates. Still, the typical life of a slave was demeaning and unpleasant, and the typical master was callous and pagan. But Paul’s command stood for all slaves, whatever their circumstances: Work obediently, vigorously, and gladly (v. 22).
Had the apostle directed them to take delight in the task of rowing galley ships or quarrying pavement stones, they would have been puzzled if not incensed. These were dead-end jobs—literally. There was little hope of advancement and great likelihood of a shortened lifespan. If a slave had a gift for teaching, music, parenting, or administration, chances were that the gift would go undeveloped. The master had other priorities. Furthermore, few of the people who captained the ships or walked the pavement were godly or even admirable. It could be a real challenge to muster zeal in their service. But Paul showed slaves how to rise to the challenge.
The essential matter was to know the identity of one’s true master, Jesus (v. 24). When commanded to clean up wine, spilled by a drunken guest, the slave knew he was cleaning up wine for Jesus. There was no higher task than bringing glory to the Lord, and there was no better way to do this than to offer self-forgetful service in His name. And those who ignored this were in for trouble (v. 25).
The Christian’s pyramid puts “witness-actualization” and “kingdom-esteem” at the top, and these needs can be met in any work situation, even dreadful ones. Fellow workers will be astonished at the believer’s lack of interest at advancement at any cost. Masters will be confused by the slave’s excellence in the absence of worldly incentives. Perhaps colleagues and masters alike will investigate the Christian’s motives and discover that pleasing Jesus is the goal. Then they might even find Jesus for themselves. Whether or not they do, the believer’s heavenly reward is secure (v. 24).
In a world where children and youth are taught to think, “It’s all about me,” prospects for happiness are elusive. The world will simply not satisfy so much self-absorption. But those who understand that “It’s all about the Lord” will have all the self-fulfilment they can manage, not because they sought it, but because single-hearted devotion to God means abundant life, both on earth and in the world to come.
