What Does the Bible Say About Firing?

A friend of mine works for a large Christian nonprofit where the CEO refuses to fire a chronic nonperformer because she believes firing isn’t Christlike.

What would happen to the employee if he lost his job? What about his family? What if he just needed more time? Time went on, and so did the performance issues. Yet she continued extending grace and encouraging other leaders to pray for him.

It’s a dilemma many Christian leaders face. We want to lead with compassion, but we also have responsibilities to our organizations, our teams, and the people we serve.

Over the years, I’ve seen Christian leaders drift toward two extremes. Some use the Bible to justify firing people. Others use grace language to avoid difficult personnel decisions altogether.

Neither approach reflects biblical leadership.

Grace is not the same thing as avoiding accountability.

What the Bible Doesn’t Say About Firing

The question, “What does the Bible say about firing?” is more difficult than it first appears because the Bible doesn’t address employee termination in the modern corporate sense.

I’ve often wished Scripture contained more modern workplace language and clearer answers to contemporary problems. Words and phrases like change management, performance reviews, firing, and artificial intelligence don’t appear in any of my Bible concordances. We can’t simply flip to a chapter and verse that tells us exactly how to handle every challenge leaders, managers, and employees face.

But sometimes we struggle to find answers because we’re asking Scripture to do something it was never designed to do.

Modern life has conditioned us to expect immediate solutions. We need a snack in the airport, so we put money in a vending machine and out comes a pack of M&Ms. Our teenager forgets to give us the dirty soccer jersey until the last minute, so we set the washing machine on Speed Wash. We don’t want to read an owner’s manual, so we ask ChatGPT to summarize only what we need to know.

The Bible doesn’t work that way.

In a course on Genesis, Tim Mackie of The Bible Project observed that Scripture is designed for a lifetime of meditation. The Holy Spirit helps us and meets us in that process, but we still have to show up—with open hands and without preconceived notions. As we spend time in God’s Word, we begin to recognize themes, patterns, and truths that appear again and again throughout Scripture.

These themes don’t give us a step-by-step termination policy, but they do reveal God’s character and help us think wisely, steward people well, and lead in ways that honor Him.

That’s where we’ll find our answer.

A Leadership Stress Test Before You Fire Someone

It’s common to want reassurance that you’ve done all you can when you’re faced with a termination decision. This quick stress test could serve as reassurance, or it may help you realize that there are still steps you can take.

Before moving forward, ask yourself:

• Have I clearly communicated what success looks like in this role?
• Did the employee receive candid feedback about performance concerns?
• Have I provided coaching, support, or reasonable opportunities for improvement?
• Have I examined my own contribution to the problem?
• Am I acting out of stewardship or frustration?

If, after asking these questions, termination still appears necessary, Scripture offers principles that can guide how we move forward.

If termination becomes necessary, Christian leaders have obligations that extend beyond company policy and legal compliance. We’re called to lead in ways that reflect God’s character.

Love

In Matthew 22:34–40, Jesus teaches that we’re to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. Notice that love isn’t passive. Throughout Scripture, God confronts sin, corrects His people, and calls them toward truth. Jesus did the same with His disciples, friends, and followers.

Christian leaders can’t use love as an excuse to avoid difficult conversations. Instead, our love for God and others should shape how we carry them out.

Humility

Philippians 2:3 reminds us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility to value others above ourselves.

Years ago, I worked with a CEO who wanted to fire a new employee because she replied to “all” on a companywide email—one of the CEO’s pet peeves. We’ve all seen situations where terminations were handled poorly or should never have happened in the first place.

Humility requires us to examine our motives honestly. Are we acting out of frustration, embarrassment, pride, or a genuine stewardship responsibility? Termination can’t become a tool for protecting our ego, punishing disagreement, or exerting control.

Truth

Ephesians 4:15 instructs believers to speak the truth in love. Difficult conversations become even more important when someone’s employment is at stake.

Leadership researcher Brené Brown is known for the phrase, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.” While not written from a specifically Christian perspective, the principle aligns closely with biblical truth-telling.

Many leaders delay difficult conversations because they want to be compassionate. Ironically, unclear expectations, vague feedback, and avoidance often create more harm than honest communication. Employees deserve clarity.

When termination becomes necessary, speak plainly and respectfully. Don’t disguise what’s happening, and don’t prolong the conversation unnecessarily. Tell the truth with compassion.

Human Dignity

Every employee bears the image of God.

That reality should shape how we handle termination. We don’t need to humiliate people, parade them in front of coworkers, or recite a long list of failures. We can preserve dignity while still being honest.

Whenever company policies allow, leaders can also help employees move forward by offering appropriate support, career resources, or other assistance. Even when employment ends, our obligation to treat people with dignity remains.

Even when termination is the right decision, a Christian leader’s responsibilities don’t end when the meeting is over. Former employees still bear the image of God.

That means we should avoid gossip, humiliation, and unnecessary disclosure. We can protect confidentiality, speak truthfully about the situation, and resist the temptation to use someone’s departure as a cautionary tale for the rest of the team.

When appropriate, we can also help people move forward. That may include providing an honest reference, connecting them with opportunities, or offering practical support during a difficult transition.

Termination changes an employment relationship, but it doesn’t change a person’s worth.

When firing becomes a real possibility, many leaders focus exclusively on the struggling employee and forget the people carrying the extra weight.

If a customer service representative isn’t answering a reasonable number of calls and messages, those inquiries get piled onto coworkers who already have full workloads. If someone in accounts receivable repeatedly posts payments incorrectly, those mistakes must be corrected and customer complaints addressed. High-performing employees become discouraged and demoralized. Respect for leadership falls and resentment grows.

Leaders aren’t only stewards of the struggling employee. They’re also stewards of the mission, organizational resources, customers, donors, high performers, and everyone else affected by the decision.

The consequences of retaining chronic non-performers reach far beyond the individual employee.

The leader who doesn’t want to appear hasty or unkind may eventually be viewed as someone who is unwilling or unable to address problems that affect the broader organization.

This is why grace and accountability should never be viewed as opposing forces. Faithful leadership requires both. Accountability without grace can become harsh and self-righteous. Grace without accountability can become avoidance disguised as compassion.

Biblical leadership requires us to steward people well, tell the truth, and lead in ways that honor God—even when those responsibilities lead to difficult decisions.

Firing someone is never easy. Nor should it be.

Leaders who follow Christ will often feel the weight of these decisions because people’s livelihoods, families, and futures are involved.

Scripture may not provide a modern termination policy, but it does provide the wisdom needed to navigate these moments faithfully. When accountability becomes necessary, we can exercise it with humility, compassion, honesty, and respect for the people God has entrusted to our care.

Grace and accountability aren’t competing values. Both are part of faithful stewardship.