In todays world we look to put our identity in the things we do. For example, in our society in the bio portions of your Facebook or Twitter page you will see things like:
“Husband, Father, Avid Coffee Drinker, Entrepreneur.”
or
“Student at U of A #wps, social justice advocate, business major.”
Our whole existence it seems like anymore is trying to associate with a certain tribe or group. We want to be known for this thing or that thing. Everything is about being known for-fill in the blank.
What I find interesting about all of this is that when I read the Bible the greatest of New Testament men all called themselves by one thing and one thing only….slaves of Christ.
How is it that Paul who had every reason to brag about himself and all the churches he had planted and the people who have come to Christ because of his ministry as well as the places he had walked, he calls himself a slave!?! Think about it…if we were Paul our Twitter bio would read like this:
“Church Planter, Best Selling Author, Pastor, Gods gift to Christianity, World Traveler, Entrepreneur. #livelifeonmission”
Seriously. This is what we would do. We would first making things about ourselves and how awesome we are, bragging all about it in a very “noble” twitter bio way. We want to seem hip, trendy and important. Not so with Paul. Paul says this in almost every letter he wrote in the New Testament…Paul, a slave to Christ Jesus. Peter, Jude, James, Timothy, all of them wanted to be known as slaves to Christ and nothing more!
Why? Why would they choose to be known as slaves, something so demeaning, something so degrading, something so low…?
Because they understood first that it was not about them! They wanted everything they did to be about the master. That is first and foremost.
Second, their identity was not in what they did, but in who they were in Christ. Their desires, their wants, their world was Christ! Nothing more, nothing less. They trusted the master. They understood their mission and call. They were to make disciples at all cost and give their lives for the sake of the call. They didn’t want to be known for anything other than a slave to Christ. They didn’t want fame or a publishing deal. They didn’t care about being the next big speaker on the speaking circuit. They wanted to be a lowly slave serving the King of Kings and spreading the Gospel to all nations, tribes and tongues.
What say you friend?
Will you stop trying to be known for anything other than a slave? Will you choose this day to drop your ambitions and your pride and fall before the king and sign your very rights away to the greatest master you could ever have?
Because here’s the thing, if you aren’t a slave to Christ, you’re a slave to something.
Think about that. If you are not a slave to the greatest master who is good and promises His yoke is easy and light…then you’re slaving away under a slave master that will ultimately bring you to your death.
What do you say? Will you give your rights over to the King and learn from Him? Are you willing to be known by Him and Him alone? Will your identity be only found in Him? Or, will you continue to slave under a slave master that you can never satisfy and will bring you discontentment and frustration then ultimately death?
I hope you choose life as a slave to the King.
Be blessed friends.
Logan Merrick 