Servant
Question? What are you a servant to? Your job? Your family? Your bank account? Your ego? Your addiction? Your religion? You see, we are all a servant to something or someone. The Apostle Paul understood this and understood whom he was to be a servant of: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1),”Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1), “Paul, a servant of God” (Titus 1:1). Without a doubt, Paul’s identity was found in being a servant of Jesus Christ. Whatever He asked Paul to do, Paul did it. Wherever He called Paul to go, Paul went. Whatever price He asked Paul to pay, Paul paid because he was a servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Paul considered being a servant of Jesus a privilege. He was willing to subject himself to the will of the Master with complete and utter devotion to nothing else or no one else but Jesus. In all circumstances, Paul puts Christ at the highest possible place in his life and affirms that he belongs to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So, what about you? When you are called to do something you don’t want to do or asked go down a road you rather not go or called upon to pay a price you don’t want to pay, will you respond by being a servant to your own will and the comforts of this world? Or will you follow the example of a junior high aged girl who when told she was going to give birth to the Son of God responded by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant” (Luke 1:38). By responding this way and living our lives as a servant of the Lord, we worship Him (Psalm 34:1-3), we live according to His will (Romans 12-15), and we obediently walk with Him (John 14:15).
To the Apostle Paul, there was nothing more noble than being a servant of Christ Jesus. He desired to be nothing, to do nothing, to have nothing apart from Him. Are you willing to follow the example of Paul and live your life as a servant of Christ Jesus? What’s holding you back?
~ Tim Hall https://twitter.com/1timothy12 (I encourage feedback, questions & comments - email me at 1timothy46@gmail.com)