How do you describe yourself?

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:1-2)

How do you describe yourself? If a stranger were to say to you, “Tell me about yourself,” where would you begin? Would you talk about your family – I’m married with three children, or I am the youngest of two children. Would you talk about what you do for work – I’m an accountant, or I’m a teacher. Would you talk about where you’ve come from – I grew up in New York, or on a farm. What is your fundamental identity, the first thing you say when asked who you are?

In Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, he begins by identifying himself, along with Timothy, as servants of Christ Jesus. The Greek word translated here as servant is the word “doulos,” which can mean slave or servant. Think about what it means to be a slave, and what it would be like to see your primary identity as a slave to Christ Jesus. First, a slave belongs to another person. A slave is not free, but is the property of a master. Secondly, a slave’s schedule is dictated by the master. A slave does not wake up in the morning and say “what do I want to do today?” A slave checks in with the master and then does what the master tells him or her to do. Thirdly, a slave has no rights. A slave just has responsibilities, duties to perform.

This is how Paul defines his primary identity. He is a slave of Jesus Christ. He is not free, but he belongs to another, to the master. His schedule is dictated by the master. And he has no rights, only responsibilities and duties to perform.
First of all, notice the humility in that definition. He is writing to a church that he helped to start. But instead of introducing himself as the apostle, their spiritual father, the one to whom they owe their spiritual life – even though he could say all of those things – he calls himself a servant, a slave. Clearly, Paul believes that the glory and the spotlight do not belong to him, but to someone else.

Paul’s primary identity is that of a slave to Jesus Christ. In a culture like ours that elevates freedom and choice and rights as three core values, it is completely counter-cultural to emphasize bondage, servitude, and responsibility. Who in their right mind would willingly choose to surrender their rights, their freedom to choose, and their independence to another?

But here’s the thing: Paul is not just a slave. He is a slave to Jesus Christ. He is a slave to the one who created all things, including Paul, according to Colossians 1:16. He is a slave to the one who loved him so much that he gave up his life on the cross for his sins, according to Romans 5:6-8. He is a slave to the one who knows all things, who knows what is best for Paul, who knows Paul better than Paul knows himself, according to John 2:24-25. Paul is a slave to Jesus, to the one who will consistently work for Paul’s good, to transform him into the man he was created to be, according to Romans 8:28-29. Paul is not just a slave, a man without rights or freedom, with duties to perform. He is a slave to Jesus Christ. And so, ironically, the choice to live as a slave to Jesus Christ becomes the most freeing decision a person can make, because surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ will unlock our greatest potential, as His lordship in our lives helps transform us into the person we were created to be, and gives our lives the greatest possible purpose.

Who are you? What is your primary identity? If you are a Christian, then I encourage you to join Paul in seeing yourself as a slave to Jesus Christ, to the one who created you, who knows you, who loves you, the one who has the power to bring out the best in you, the one can give your life the greatest possible significance. Can I encourage you today: seek him in the morning, like a slave reporting to the master for duty. Return to him throughout your day to check in with what His will is for your life. Surrender to Jesus today and every day your rights, your choice, and your independence, and let Him lead the way, that you might find life to the fullest.