Would like to start with asking you a personal question? What is that one thing or Who is that one person who influences your behavior and all your decisions? That thing or that person masters you. We all have masters and gods over our lives. Knowingly or in ignorance we allow things or people to control us. At times, it could be our own intelligence, logic or emotions that controls us. That of course is one of the most dangerous paths to take, because it leads to death! (Prov 14:12) I want to focus here on three important biblical principles in servant to master relationship.

Who?

Jesus looked at his generation and said “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep” (Luke 7:32) Please understand this generation of Jews has a healthy economy run by Roman governors, a stable political system under the Roman Emperor who virtually ruled the world in those days, and an extravagant spirituality with two High Priests instead of the usual one that God had ordained. This is the generation that Jesus says is not aligned to the heart of God. Friend, it doesn’t matter if you are blessed spiritually, financially, academically and socially, if you want people and God to dance to your tune, instead of you dancing to the tune of the voice of Jesus, you will not make it to heaven! Jesus said “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21)

It is not enough that you accept Jesus as the saviour of your sins, it is more so important that you allow him to be the Lord of your life. Allow him to rule over your life, make him King! Else you will also be like those people whom Jesus referred to as “children”!

Why?

Now, it is a good thing to serve Jesus, but doing that for the wrong reasons is highly dangerous as well. God is not just looking at your actions, but at the motives behind those actions. Here is a right perspective to serve Jesus as your master. In Exodus 21 God lays down the principles of how a master – slave relationship should be. This is how it works. There is a period that a person who has been bought with a price should serve the master, after that he is free to go. But if he decides against it and says “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,” (verse 5) he will have to serve that master all through out his life. Now see the reason that he wants to serve his master is because he loves him! That should be our attitude towards the Lord, it is not because I have no other options that I serve God! I love the Father, I love Jesus and I love the Holy Spirit, and that’s why I want to serve God! First, I love my master, then my wife (a gift from my master) and my children (fruit or results of my master’s favor)

It is very important that we serve God with the right attitude and for the right reasons! Please don’t serve God only to go to heaven, Heaven is for people who truly love God and are ready to live a life of submission to Him!

How?

Let’s come down to practical everyday life. How do I make Jesus my King and my Lord? How should I live for Him? I love Jesus, but how will I rise above the level of just being a child wanting God to dance to my tunes? The biblical principle in Exo 21:6 says his master should bring him to the door or the door post. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

Door is the only legal entry place into the house. The first principle is to Keep your door open for God, allowing Him to intervene into your life. We often quote Rev 3:20 to unbelievers, but as a matter of fact Jesus wrote it to the church, to a bunch of believers who have sought for forgiveness of their sins, but not opened the doors of their lives to let Jesus come in and change their routine way of life. As long as your are not open to God, or to the correction he brings, don’t ever think you will be able to serve God. God will not want to waste his time on unreceptive and unteachable people. The moment he enters into your life, he will bless you but along with that he will also turn some tables upside down!

Ear is for hearing, piercing the ear is painful and leaves a permanent mark on the ear for good or for bad. The second principle is to start to hear from God. You will have to start to obey the gentle whisperings of the Holy Spirit, slowly he will lead you in small as well as big decisions that you will have to take. Yes, the process is painful, because the Holy Spirit will often tell you to do things that your flesh will not like to do. But it will be good, you will enjoy obeying him, because you love him! For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Rom 8:14) They are not just children, sitting by the marketplace! They are sons of God! At this stage you enter into a mature grown-up relationship with God based on Love.

In Conclusion:

Jesus is the only person who should be sitting on the throne of your heart! You open up your heart, willing to listen, hear and obey! Not because of all the good that is about to come your way, but because He loves you and you love him too! Will be posting more insights on the same topic in the upcoming week, you may subscribe to the posts on this blog by entering your email id on the Email Subscription tab. God bless

(Read part 2 of this post here)