Becoming God's BondslaveEve was the first created woman. She chose to turn away from God’s ways, to listen to Satan, and to follow a path that led to death in her relationship with God.Mary, the mother of Jesus, modeled for us a new way to love God. She redeemed the picture of what it meant to be a woman who was committed fully to living as a child of God.
LUKE 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. • What was in Mary’s heart that communicated her understanding of her whole life with God? • How does her statement differ from the behavior of Eve, who pondered Satan’s words and chose to go in his pathway?GENESIS 3:4-6 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.Do you see yourself as a bondslave of God? In Old Testament times, a bondslave was a slave who, after a period of service to a master, determined that he or she would rather remain in that service than ever be set free (Deuteronomy 15:16-17). A bondslave lives to do the will of her master.Mary told the angel she wished to remain in the Lord’s service, placing herself at His command.• Have you determined to be the Lord’s bondslave? • Does He have rights over every area of your life? Consider making this commitment now.LUKE 22:42 (NLT) "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."Perhaps Jesus grew up hearing Mary’s narrative about herself, that she committed herself to being obedient to God’s will—that she said, “Be it done to me according to your will.”It’s incredibly comforting that Jesus, Himself, walking on earth in the flesh, trembled at the thought of the cross—even asking that the suffering it entailed would be taken away from Him. He truly understands our weaknesses and the way we turn from pain! But as our example, He ultimately prayed, “Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.”A child learns how to become a devoted servant of Jesus not only by instruction but also by modeling. Perhaps Jesus is a reflection of His mother’s words and story in his own story of seeking to please God.• Are there areas in which you tremble at something you believe God wants you to do? Can you, today, say along with Jesus, “I want your will to be done, not mine”?JEREMIAH 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD,“Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving-kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.• Could you boast that you understand and know God? If you’re not sure, what might you begin doing in order to get to know Him better? What do you think it would mean to live your life to know God—His ways, His thoughts, His heart, His will?As a parent, I want my children to know me fully and to respond to me in love. And so God as our Father cares about our desire to know Him, to be with Him, to be like Him.MATTHEW 4:20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all fishing when Jesus called them. They responded by immediately leaving their nets and boats—their very livelihoods—in order to respond to that call.• Do you understand that becoming a follower of Christ means leaving your old world, values and habits behind, instead following Him to His ways? • Are you willing to leave everything in order to follow Jesus?ROMANS 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.• Paul urges us to worship God by offering our whole lives, body, mind and soul to Him. Is there any way in which you are living your life that is not pleasing to God? Ask Him.