A True Servant

Lately, something has been bothering me. I've been pondering on the term "Servant".

If any of you are living in Navarre, you know that recently, East River Smokehouse moved to its new location on Highway 98. It's been hectic. I work in the kitchen, and I'm exhausted. But my uncle, he's the kitchen manager. And everything I do? He does double.

I've been watching him, and for some reason, the word "servant" has been repeating in my head. I know its the Holy Spirit telling me something. This blog has been placed on my heart as well. I knew that I needed to find a place to write what the Holy Spirit was telling me to write. So, here it is. May God bless it.


So, according to the internet, the word used in the New Testament that's translated into "servant" is actually "Doulos" which fully translated into "bond-servant". Bond-servant is an odd word, a word we don't use anymore. 


Merriam-Webster Dictionary online defines 'bond-servant' as "one bound to service without wages", or in other words, "slave". Typically, slave is a bad word to us. Slavery is bad. Binding a person into our service is bad. Forcing another person to work for us without pay is bad. All these things are bad. 


However, we're called to be a slave to Jesus Christ. In quite a few letters, Paul introduces himself as a slave. James introduces himself as a slave. Jude and Peter both introduce themselves as a slave in their letters. In Revelations, John describes himself as a slave. All these men whose examples we are to follow are all calling themselves slaves. 


And they're right.


See, a slave is someone who is bought into servitude. A servant, which the more common translation we use,       is in all honesty, wrong. A servant is hired. A servant can leave if they so wish. These men, they couldn't leave. They were slaves. The price that was spent to buy them covered their whole life. There was no leaving, no finding other work. Unless their master sold them, they were bought. They were to follow their master's orders. 


And that master is Jesus. 


Who is also our master. We were bought too. We are slaves as well. There is no servant, who have a choice. No, if you were bought by His blood from death, you are a slave. We were slaves to sin before, and then Jesus paid the set price and died for us. So now, He owns us. He owns our life, our soul, and everything we think we own. It all belongs to Him. There is no choice of giving everything to Him. It's already His. 

So why do we fight being a slave? The answer is really simple. 


Pride. 


Pride stops us from doing things. Pride is the thing that keeps us from talking to people about Jesus. Pride is the thing that stops us from helping people when they need it. Pride is the thing that stops us from accepting help. Pride goes before destruction. Pride is the bane of our existence. 

We think that we are better than other people. We think that because we are saved, white, male, middle-classed, intelligent, cat-lover, pokemon master, we're better then those who are not. This is the very definition  of pride. We're supposed to put others above ourselves. Everyone is above us. 

So does that mean when your co-workers wants you to do something a little extra, even just because they are simply lazy, you do it? You do it. 


This is why it's been bothering me. Lately, I've had people ask me to do stuff that I didn't want to do, especially at work. More dishes, more work, and I don't want to do it. I get tired, I get cranky, and I refuse to do it. 


However, I've been watching my uncle. He works. And works. And works some more. He does it for people who aren't saved, who barely appreciate him. Well, his female boss appreciates him, but his male boss is critical and prideful, and has no clue how badly their restaurant would fail without him. But still, even if they didn't thank him, he would still work. 


Why?


Because he has a slave mentality. 


He has put these two people above himself, and has decided that the Smokehouse will be the best restaurant in all of panhandle Florida. So he works, and he works too many hours for too little pay and he does it with very little complaint. He does it to make sure that his bosses don't fail. He does it because he has seen what their vision is, and he's going to make it happen. He sets an example for us. 


Jesus was God. He was there before the world was made, before time was created. Jesus is God. He sits on the Father's right hand. Jesus will be God. He will be the King of Kings who rides into Armageddon shining and ready to win. 


But, He was also a slave to the Father's will. And beyond that, He was a slave to love. For love, He did the impossible and beat death. He won the keys to the grave. He DIED for us. He paid the price to save us from a horrible slave driver, and to go into His care. All he asks from us? 


That we love Him, do his Will, and be a slave for other people.