HomeWord - Dec. 30, 2008
Is He Really the Lord of Your Life?
This devotional was written by Robin Dugall
Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God…for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. — Romans 14:4, 6, 8-9
No one really knows what it is like to serve a “lord” these days. The word has an ancient meaning that is difficult for us in contemporary culture to fully appreciate. We have elected officials and others in our society to whom we “give” authority. By contrast, in ancient times, “lords” had complete and sovereign control over everything within their territory. They had unhindered sway over everything and everyone under their authority. To acknowledge someone as “lord” meant that you obeyed their ownership and authority over your life without hesitation.
In light of history, think about it for a moment: is Jesus the Lord of your life? Really? I can confess right now that Jesus is NOT Lord of my life in the way that He should be. There are parts of my life that are simply “mine,” and I struggle to give them over to Jesus’ lordship. I confess that He is far too easily reduced to a convenience or simply someone who can pull me out of trouble when I get in too deep.
Jesus calls us to give our lives over to Him as Lord. He created life; doesn’t it just make sense that we would obey everything He calls us to do? God designed life to make sense when we let Him reign in our lives. Thank God that He is perfect in our every weakness and in our stubbornness! Thank God that Jesus is patient with us even in our stubbornness, and continues to call us to give over our lives in obedience to Him.
Today, may we all have the courage to allow Jesus to truly be Lord of our lives.
GOING DEEPER:
- How much of your life is being led by the Lord Jesus? What areas are you keeping from Him? Why?
- What makes you afraid or apprehensive of giving all of your life to the Lord?
FURTHER READING:
Philippians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 12; Matthew 14:22-33; John 14:1-7
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