Babysitting Boss
From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. God chose me to be an apostle, and he appointed me to preach the good news. Romans 1:1 (Contemporary English Version)
INSIGHT
I was the babysitting queen of our neighborhood when I was a teenager. About a dozen families hired me regularly. Most of the kids I sat for had no issues listening when I asked them to eat their dinner or clean up their toys. However, there was one little girl who did not like being told it was time for bed. “You’re not the boss of me!” she would scream as she ran wildly through the house. I had to remind her that I was, in fact, a temporary “boss” appointed by her parents to carry out their wishes. (I wish I could say my announcement always worked!)
In the first verse of his letter to the Romans, Paul is crystal clear in revealing his identity. He starts by declaring himself Christ’s "servant,” a translation of the Greek word doulos. In Old Testament Scripture, the idea of being a servant was seen as a privilege. The likes of Moses, David, and Elijah were referred to as servants. Jesus Himself said He came to serve. (Mark 10:45)
In calling himself a servant, Paul is expressing his unwavering commitment to Christ. Paul then says he is an “apostle” whom God “appointed." An apostle is a representative who has authority, which meant that the Christians in Rome should listen to whatever Paul had to say. He had met the risen Jesus (Acts 9), and the Lord had divinely appointed, or commissioned, Paul to proclaim the good news. In this particular letter, Paul fully lays out the gospel with the goal of unifying Jewish and Gentile followers of Christ.
Paul was a servant, an apostle and appointed. Followers of Jesus are meant to be these things, too. As a babysitting teenager, I was the servant of parents who had given me the authority to deliver a message of safety, cleanliness, and brotherly love to their kids.
Today Jesus calls me to serve others, to represent Him boldly, and to share His amazing good news of salvation and redemption.
REFLECTION
• How could this three-fold identity as a servant, apostle, and appointed impact the way you live each day?
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for converting Paul from a persecutor of Christians to a Christ-follower. Help us to follow his example, remembering that we are chosen by You to speak Your Word with authority and love, and serve others in Your name. We can do it because You are helping us every moment of every day. Amen.
Port City writer Katy Davis wrote today’s devotional.
