Master and Slave

"This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News." Romans 1:1

What is the first thing that pops in your head when you hear the word slave?

Do you automatically think of yourself?

The truth be known we are all a slave to something, whether it be an addiction, money, our jobs, a spouse, even self.

This was a hard thing for me to grasp when the Lord was teaching me, but the more I listened to Him the more I realized how I have allowed there to be more Master's in my life than just Jesus.

Paul new who His real, one and only Master was, Jesus, and he was proud to be His slave. I have never really looked at being Jesus' slave until God sat me down and taught me more about this passage.

The word slave has such a negative response to it, but in this case it is something that is postive and good. Why?

Because Jesus is the most amazing Master there is. He is a Master that is loving, kind, gentle, patient, understanding, forgiving and merciful.

Even His discipline is done in complete love for us. He has our best interest at heart, He knows what is best for us and what is harmful to us. He can see things in a bigger picture than we can, and He always goes ahead of us making sure we are safe.

Like Paul, we should desire and want to be Christ's slave, and we should look at it as a great and wonderful thing. Because to be honest these other Master's we have allowed to creep into our lives, well they don't have our best "Eternal" interest at heart. They are the right now.

The biggest issue we will have to deal with is whether or not we want and are willing to relinquish all control and serve Christ.

As a slave for Christ, we have been given freedom, freedom to love and serve Him. See how it goes back to Him, our Master.

If Christ is not within us this is a very hard thing to wrap our minds around. Especially when slave and Master are used.

This all comes down to our love and desire for our Master, Jesus Christ. Do we, like Paul, live and want to live in COMPLETE obedience to Christ? Do we find it an honor and privilege to call Jesus our Master and ourselves His slaves.

I do, and I know I need to do better about living it out.

Jesus what You have done for me shows me the kind of Master You are. You are a Master who layed down Your life for me, Your slave, so that I might have everlasting life. Help me to remove any other Master so that You can be the One and Only ruler of my life. Amen