Daily devotion – There are only servants in Christ’s Church!
I am presently reading through the Book of Romans in my personal devotions so our daily devotions as a result will be coming from these times with the Lord and this blessed letter to the Christians in Rome.
Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
Paul before calling himself an apostle tells us he is firstly a SERVANT of Jesus Christ. This is the foundation and key to ensuring we start off on the right foot in our relationship with Christ. Before anything else we are His servant. This removes any self appreciation or self promotion from who we really are!
Paul is a ‘bondservant’ as are you and I. We are the purchased possession of our Master Jesus Christ and the price He paid for each of us was His own blood and His death upon the Cross of Calvary. We have been purchased at ‘significant cost!’
Paul had forsworn the title of servant to his life and Paul surrendered himself to one consuming passion – the service of Jesus Christ. Have you?
Paul’s avocation was making tents but his true vocation was changing lives and families by his preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul considered being a servant of Christ that of a privileged and dignified position. One he was not worthy of but had been given by the grace of God.
Paul being a servant of Jesus Christ, meant that he was now an officer of the King. Do you live and consider yourself an officer of the King. We all are who name the name of Christ as Lord and Saviour! If you are a Christian, and a servant of Jesus Christ we are then to talk like we are, to live like we are – officers of the King.
Our lives and the direction of our lives are no longer our own – we have given up our old life and now reckon it to be dead. Now we walk in the newness of life empowered by the Holy Spirit doing only what Christ has planned for me. Most people are looking for a title, robes, and positions of honour in the Church. Constantly seeking the accolades and applause of men. But in God’s order the ‘servant’ came before the ‘apostle’.
Are you serving Christ today? Are you serving His Church or are you seeking to be served? Are you the one making the sacrifices or are you pitching to others that they should make sacrifices for you? In all handmade Swiss watches, hidden away in the intricate movement of a quality timepiece are jewel joints where the pinions swing on the face of jewels. Jewels are used because of their strength and capacity to not wear out like cheap imitations. There are many saints who are like jewels in a watch. They are hidden and obscure, the prayer warriors, the cleaners, the ones always labouring unseen, who are more valuable in their place than all the decorations and gems on the case.
Today are you a hidden jewel or are you of a public persona, always with your hand out, one who when you approach anyone they know you are only after something? All of us cannot be as the hands of a watch in the public eye pointing out the time. Some are jewels on which the pinions of God’s purposes swing with perfect precision bringing constant blessing to the body of Christ and glory to God.
In the body of Christ there are only servants!