•Many people complain of being abandoned by employers in times of need
•The Roman centurion is a good example of how to be a good boss
One of the most common warnings thrown in the way of salaried folks is to never rest in the comfort zone of earning a monthly salary. We are reminded to not put our work at the expense of spending some quality time with our loved ones.
Indeed, it is true that to your employer, you are replaceable. Many times, we have witnessed hardworking colleagues getting replaced immediately after their demise or relocation to greener pastures.
All these statements negating salaried employment reflect the current state of the society, in which everything is modelled around capitalism. We have become a man-eat-man society, in which employers are considered as the mongrel contented with rinsing all the productivity they can get from their subordinates without a commensurate pay package.
However, when I read Luke 7:1-10, I see what the relationship between employers and employees ought to be. The Roman centurion neither knew Jesus nor God at a personal level but still had faith that Christ could heal his seriously ill servant.
In Luke 7:2, we read that the centurion valued his servant so highly that he sent the elders of the Jews to go plead with Jesus to come and heal him.
Whereas the servant was on his deathbed and was simply waiting for his time, the centurion still saw in him someone who was still an asset not to be given up on.
Contrast this with the many cases we hear today of people complaining of how they were abandoned by their employers once they were not in a position to perform at an optimal level.
It is more disheartening that many of the employers who do this to their employees are people who profess to be Christians and guided by godly values in their lives.
In Colossians 4:1, Paul tells masters to provide their slaves or servants with what is right and fair in the knowledge that they also have a master in heaven.
As an employer who professes Christianity, you should remember that God's kingdom is founded on kindness, righteousness and justice and, as such, expects us to practise the same principles in our respective spheres of influence.
Therefore, you'd have failed in your practice of your faith by simply treating your employees as objects that are to be discarded in their lowest moments.
The centurion's concern for his servant was not a one-time thing but was, indeed, a kind-hearted man as the Jewish elders testified to Jesus. He had built them a synagogue and loved his Jewish subjects (Luke 7:4-5).
As the world's problems pile up, leaders who are empathetic are in vogue. Just like the centurion, the 21st century bosses should be concerned about the welfare of their employees so as to reap the best out of them.