Have you ever had a mean boss? The type that seems to take pleasure in deriding and belittling staff in public? The kind that seems to go out of their way to be unhelpful to everyone? Perhaps the mean person you dealt with wasn't a boss but a client. Someone who feels that since they are paying you they can treat you as they like.
For us Christians, the Bible clarifies how we are to deal with such individuals. It is imperative we learn and apply God's instructions if we want to be blessed in our jobs and businesses.
We are told in 1 Peter 2:18 - You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh (GNT).
While an employee-employer or service provider-customer relationship does not seem like a servant-master relationship, it actually is. In either situation, one person tells the other what to do and expects their instruction to be carried out. That is exactly what happens when employees deal with their employer's or service providers interact with customers.
Keeping this in mind, as Christian employees or as business owners who deal with customers, we have to be mindful how we treat them. Even the nastiest individuals are to be treated with respect. We are not to allow their behavior to shift us from behaving like ambassadors of Gods kingdom on earth. This may be a hard pill to swallow, but remember that the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. We therefore must remember that in dealing with such people, we must behave as if we were dealing with God Himself.
We therefore cannot accede to the common saying that "respect is earned". It is unscriptural no matter how 'wise' it seems. We respect those who are nice and those who are not simply because we are expected to by the Lord. There need be no other reason than that.
This is not to say that the practical application of this instruction will be easy. Nor is this to suggest that we entertain or remain in abusive situations. Where there is an opportunity to step away from dysfunctional treatment, it is best to prayerfully do so. Nevertheless, the more we obey the Lord, the more we experience His blessings in the many areas of our life.
As we pray for God's grace and strength to treat everyone He brings our way with God-fearing respect, He will help us to get better at it.