Integrating Faith in Business The objective of this work is to describe how it is to work with difficult bosses and to discuss the discoveries made in this present course relating to this specific issue specifically emphasizing Biblical principles. This work in writing will deliberate through research and reflection about how the Christian Scriptures and faith relate to the issue of a difficult boss and ways that one can live out the choices and changes in order to work with the difficult boss.

The work of Cohen (2012) addresses what it is like to work with a difficult boss and examines the various types of difficult bosses that exist. Included in these are the following types of difficult bosses: (1) the micromanager; (2) the incompetent; (3) the sabotage; and (4) others. (Cohen, 2012) The micromanager type boss is described as the type of boss that "often believes he's doing the right thing, talking to him can have an impact. This is where the concept of "managing-up' comes in." (Cohen, 2012) The incompetent boss is one described as making one "question how she ever got to where she is. She doesn't seem to understand your business, your responsibilities or her own, or how to get things done within your organization. She often appears to be covering up her challenges, and she may even take credit for your successes. With an Incompetent boss, you are often drained and frustrated, either from figuring out how to get the support you need or trying to get recognized for your accomplishments through the fog of your boss's lack thereof." (Cohen, 2012) The sabotage is described by Cohen (2012) as taking "an active role in negatively impacting your career. He may give you work that is significantly below your capabilities, highlight a weakness of yours in a public meeting, assign projects to you that are set up for failure, or prevent you from leadership opportunities. A Sabotager usually comes from a place of inadequacy and believes that other people's success can limit his own." (Cohen, 2012) Other types of bad bosses according to Cohen (2012) include those which are dysfunctional and bosses who are obsessive a workaholic, absent, or even abusive. The question addressed in this work in writing is how to handle the difficult boss through use of biblical principles.

I. Change Your Boss

Pastor Mark writes in the work entitled "How to Work For a Difficult Boss - Col. 3:22-25" that the best advice possible is to "change your boss and get a better boss." (nd) According to this article it is possible to change one's boss through "one of three different ways. You can quit. You can seek a transfer within the company. You can try to get your boss fired or reassigned. There are advantages and disadvantages to each option that have to be evaluated based on your personal situation." (Pastor Mark, nd) The biblical reference given by Pastor Mark is that of Colossians 3:22-25, which states as follows:

"Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. [23] Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; [24] knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. [25] For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality." (Pastor Mark, nd)

Pastor Mark writes that what is being instructed in Colossians 3:22-25 tells us "is that whether you have a bad boss or a good boss, you need to change your boss. First, you need to determine that Jesus is your true boss. You need to change your thinking as to whom your boss is. Verse...

Jesus is your real boss. That man or woman you think is your boss is only a stand in. Your real boss is Jesus." (Pastor Mark, nd)
I Cor. 6:19-20 states as follows:

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? [20] For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (Pastor Mark, nd)

II. The Biblical Principle of Work as A 'Divine Calling'

Work is reported as having been "…established as our divine call in Genesis 1-2, even before the fall of Man. If work is a divine call, then the one we are really working for is God, or more specifically the member of the Godhead who has bought and paid for us, Jesus Christ." (Pastor Mark, nd) It is reported that Martin Luther King wrote as follows:

"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, "Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." (Pastor Mark, nd)

Pastor Mark states that not only is Jesus the true boss of the Christian but the Christian should "…serve your earthly boss as if he were Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:23 says that whatever you do, you are to do your work heartily as to the Lord. Your boss does not act like Jesus all the time. He may not even bear a distant resemblance to Jesus, but you are to serve him as if he were Jesus. Whatever you do for him is what you are doing for Jesus. Whatever you fail to do for him is what you are failing to do for Jesus." (Pastor Mark, nd)

III. Motivated by Service to Boss as Service to Christ

It is not only externally that Christians are to work and the objective is more than to please other human beings but "with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord, the Christian is to work in a reverent way for God. In other words, the Christian is not self-motivated and no ulterior motive exists nor personal agenda. But instead motivated by a genuine desire to see one's boss achieve. In fact, when one works for their boss through treating them respectfully and truly serving them the boss becomes more tolerable to work for. Sincere service to one's boss results in the individual having "a lot of leeway to bring things up you would like him to change. Just because he or she is, your boss does not mean that you cannot influence them for good, especially if you follow God's principles. In the Old Testament both Joseph and Daniel were sold into slavery to foreign nations. They both found favor with their masters and eventually rose to great leadership positions because they followed God's principles for dealing with those who are in authority. Serve your boss as if he were Jesus." (Pastor Mark, nd)

IV. Jesus Christ is the Real Boss

Since one's real boss is Jesus Christ the payday is not weekly or biweekly or even monthly but instead the rewards and consequences of one's actions are after one passes this world and to be determined by Jesus Christ who will determine the rewards earned by the individual. Just because the individual is in a lowly position on earth that individual is still as responsible for wrongdoing as the boss or CEO of a company therefore, the same standards of right and wrong are applicable across the board for all human beings. One should interview their boss when the potential boss interviews them in terms of the ethics of the company and how the company operates. It is better to examine the boss as they conduct…