April 6 ~ 1 Corinthians 7:21-24
Are you a slave? Don't let that bother you. But if you can win your freedom, you should. When the Lord chooses slaves, they become his free people. And when he chooses free people, they become slaves of Christ. God paid a great price for you. So don't become slaves of anyone else. Stay what you were when God chose you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
My friend Becky dropped out of college to marry and begin a family. She and her husband reared two wonderful boys who both graduated from college and are doing well. Becky was a wonderful, loving mother. More importantly, she was an amazingly faith-filled Christian. And when she was stricken with breast cancer that eventually took her life, she led by example. Many people testified at her funeral to her positive outlook… and every time we talked during her illness, she would say, “I’m going to be okay.”
See, Becky didn’t become a slave to cancer. She belonged to Jesus, and because of that, she despised pity and sadness and the emotions that often consume those who are terminally ill. They betrayed her faith and trust, and she would have none of it! Her own pastor said that when he would try to have a serious conversation with her about how she was really doing, she would touch his arm and say, “I’m doing just fine.” She let the light of Christ shine through her… she was a slave of Christ.
Often we become a slave of something other than Jesus. Some Christians even become “slaves” to the church, thinking that this pleases God. If you are more concerned with what you are doing for the church than how you are serving God, you have become a slave. When you get caught up in trappings such as dressing a certain way or making a big deal about how often you attend church services and activities, Bible studies and more and lose focus on Christ… when you are more interested in hanging crosses from your rear view mirror and sporting bumper stickers that espouse your favorite scripture than ministering to others… when you are more concerned about protesting certain practices in the name of Jesus than sharing the love of Jesus and letting His light shine through each day… you are a slave.
What enslaves you? Have you gotten bogged down and trapped by worry, fear, financial stress, poor health, relationship struggles, loneliness, insecurities, self-pity, “trappings of the church,” and more? Don’t you want to become a “slave of Christ,” and in doing so, gain your freedom? Look at the last verses of this passage again… “God paid a great price for you. So don’t become slaves of anyone else. Stay what you were when God chose you.” Be a slave of Christ. Live for Him… and be faithfully – and joyfully free.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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