What is a "servant"? a person who serves a person, who is paid to serve.
What is a "bond"? something that binds a covenant something used to tie together - rope or chains a uniting element or force glue.
The term "bondservant" here comes from the word dulos. And is defined as:
- a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
1. a slave
2. metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
3. devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
- a servant, attendant
The best definition here is “devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests.” On its basic level a bondservant is simply following your master to complete disregard of your own will, emotions, desires.
"These are the laws you are to set before them: “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.... But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master... and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life." Exodus 21:1-6.
The day CityLights ended, I decided that I was going to do something that marks as a reminder of my bondservant-hood of the Lord. The verses from Exodus 21 came to mind so I put my thoughts into action (without telling my mom... urgh...).
What does this mean to me personally?
It means I am enslaved to the freedom in Christ.
Enslave and freedom are such contradicting words but work so beautifully in my covenant with my Lord.
I am enslaved to His freedom, His love, His mercy, His grace, and His will.
I am also bond to follow His steps and instructions, to listen carefully and to obey quickly.
His grace and abundance are better than my own kind of freedom.
It also serves as a reminder for where my heart is.
My heart is so securely guarded by Him that anyone who wants to come close to it or have it will have to seek Him and ask Him for it.
I'm not gonna lie, as a girl, it's so easy and tempting to want to solicit my heart and feelings, or even more realistically put, to want to prostitute my heart and feelings. As a girl, I am just naturally wired to seek and desire attention, love, and care; if I do not pay close attention or be intentional, I could so easily forget who has the ownership of my heart and live in fear and hurt as a consequence.
So, even when the world around me tells me differently, even when it seems hard and beyond my comprehension at times, I will still fix my eyes on my Master and adhere to His voice and decisions, for I know His ways are higher than mine, He knows all and sees all.
I do not belong to myself.
I give Him my complete and utter devotion.
I walk freely in His light.
I dance under the shelter of His wings.
No one can sneak my heart away and trample it.
I am a bondservant but also a dearly beloved daughter of the Most High King, He deems me noble, precious, and lovely; He lay down His life and died for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment