Slave To Christ or Master Of You – Who Do You Choose?

Romans 1:1; Deuteronomy 15:16

Are your hands so firmly on the steering wheel of your life that Jesus can't take you where He wants you to go?

Soul Food

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God….”

- Romans 1:1

“If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free. 

And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. You are to furnish him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. You shall give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today. 

But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you, then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.” 

- Deuteronomy 15:12-17

Soul Search

• The big question in today’s devotional is: have you given yourself over to Christ?
  Can you truly say you are His servant?
  If so, can you recall and describe what was happening when you made that decision?

• Some people grow up going to church having had ‘religious’ experiences, but have never entered into a relationship with God through Jesus.
  Might that possibly describe you?
  Are you a Christian by heritage or are you a Christian because of a genuine and real relationship with God?

• Is your Christianity somehow a duty that you perform by going through ritualistic religious experiences like attending church on Christmas and/or Easter, or is it a consistent daily and weekly pursuit to know God better through reading His Word, the Bible, and through prayer?

• Jesus said in John 14:12 – “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing.”
  He also said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
  Considering these words of Jesus, do you find yourself doing His works – and obeying His commandments as His servant or would you say you are more your own master?
  Do you have a desire to change this?
  Why or why not?

Soul Moves

• Be real with yourself about you.
  Are you your own boss or has Jesus really taken the steering wheel of your life?
  It can be difficult to pry your fingers off your steering wheel because it’s a surrendering of control, but Jesus will never take you anywhere but the best places for YOU.

• Give your life and heart to Jesus.
  Confess your sins to Him, repent (turn away from), and invite Him into your life to be Savior and Lord.
  “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” – Romans 10:9,10

• Read the Bible regularly and ask God to speak to you through His words there.
  Be prepared – as God’s servant – to do things you never thought you would do.
  Be prepared for God to begin changing your mind – how you think – to conform to His Truth and not your own.
  Start to journal the things you believe God is saying to you so you can remember them.