Titus 1:1

Paul was born into a strongly Jewish family and also had the privilege of being a Roman citizen. It is quite likely that his family were wealthy and that he would have been waited on by slaves from birth. He certainly wasn’t a slave himself, but when it came to his relationship with God, slavery was precisely the right description. That is to say, God was in command of his life. This is the only occasion when he referred to himself as the slave of God, although in his letter to the Romans and the Philippians, he proudly described himself as a slave of Christ.

I wonder how you describe yourself. We live in a society in which people like to be in control of their lives. But the Christian faith deliberately involves handing over the controls to God. The reason for this is simply that he understands us perfectly, and is far better able to direct our lives. “Slave of God” is therefore a title of honour and pride.

Paul’s other description of himself is as “an apostle of Jesus Christ”. For Paul, the defining moment of his life occurred on the road to Damascus. On that journey, he was confronted by the risen Lord and was convinced that he had been commissioned by Jesus himself to spread the good news amongst non-Jews. Paul hadn’t had the privilege of knowing Jesus during his earthly ministry, but he was sure he had become one of his apostles, sent out to spread the gospel.

Paul was always concerned to emphasise that his ministry wasn’t his idea, but God’s. It was God who had called him, and God who would equip him for his work. Whatever we are doing today, it is important for us all to remind ourselves that we are called by God and therefore perfectly equipped to do whatever he has asked us to do.


QUESTION
How would you respond to being described as a “Slave of God”?

PRAYER
Loving God, thank you for calling me to serve you today. Thank you that you promise to strengthen me for everything that you ask me to do. Amen

Released on 6 Jul 2023