Submission to Masters
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22
“Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
This is an area I have a lot of trouble. In fact I think that perhaps most people would admit to the same issues. There is always someone above you that you don't exactly mesh with. Someone that there are more misunderstandings with or personality clashes. You don't understand or like their style; vice versa.
If you work for someone, you should be humble and follow their wishes to the letter as you know they want you to. It doesn't matter if you like them or not. It doesn't matter if they are easy to work for or hard to work for. God asked this of all of us. So it would be against our conscience to not do so. If we follow our conscience knowing that life is more difficult because we are staying in hard circumstances, the glory goes to God and is something that can be respected.
Life working overseas in another culture has been difficult for me. The life I live really isn't that much different. There is the same electricity, water, plumping, transportation, etc that the United States has. However the language, food, and culture is different. Just interacting with others can be hard both at work and outside of the work hours. Yet, I know that God brought me here and despite at times wishing I was at home... I have no indication that God is ready for me to leave. So I am staying, giving me time to practice what I preach. Such as 1 Peter 2:18, 19.
If you mess up and are punished for it, you naturally should take it. That is just life. However, if you do the right thing and still are punished for it, and take it respectfully, then God is pleased because your attitude is correct. God in Heaven suffered as those He had made and loved went through turmoil, with a third of his angels falling beyond redemption. Jesus came to Earth for us and suffered all the brutalities that humans can force another to go through. Why should we think we could life without suffering too?
When Jesus was treated badly, He didn't return it. He wasn't openly angry nor passive aggressive. He just took it. In college I talked with a friend who practiced this. She and her best friend had had some issues. For several months, her best friend wasn't perhaps the easiest to be around, but she took everything her best friend dished out to her without spite or anger towards her best friend. Today, as far as I know, they are closer than ever.
That may not always be the case, but your actions affect more people than those involved. Something to remember. When Jesus was beaten and nailed to a tree, if He had stood up for Himself like we are always telling our friends and those who look up to us, then all of humanity would have been doomed.
So take into consideration that when things are tough and you cry secretly in a corner or rage to your best friend about the unfair things in life, that giving in to your negative feelings could have more far reaching consequences than you are prepared to handle. Trust in God and let Him be the ruler of your soul. If He impresses upon you (or your remember these words) to be humble and respectful to the one who you work for, things will work out far better for you in the end.
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