Volunteer Slaves

Elizabeth Elliot Devotional

Title: Volunteer Slaves

"Slave" is not a word most of us nowadays feel
comfortable with. It is significant that most
modern Bible translations use "servant" instead.
For a slave is not his own, has no rights
whatsoever, is not in charge of what happens to
him, makes no choices about what he will do or
how he is to serve, is not recognized,
appreciated, thanked or even (except by his
absence) noticed at all.

Once we give up our slavery to the world, which
is a cruel master indeed, to become Christ's
bondslave, we live out our servitude to Him by
glad service to others. This volunteer slavery
cannot be taken advantage of--we have chosen to
surrender everything for love. It is a wholly
different thing from forced labor. It is in fact
the purest joy when it is most unobserved, most
unself-conscious, most simple, most freely
offered.

Lord, break the chains that hold me to myself;
free me to be your happy slave--that is, to be
the happy foot-washer of anyone today who needs
his feet washed, his supper cooked, his faults
overlooked, his work commended, his failure
forgiven, his griefs consoled, or his button
sewed on. Let me not imagine that my love for You
is very great if I am unwilling to do for a human
being something very small.