Nothing makes modern-day folk more nervous than a priest standing in the pulpit telling parishioners that sacred scripture tells them to become a slave to Jesus Christ. That word, slave, gives people the heebie-jeebies. And that’s mostly because of our modern understanding of the term, which conjures images of minorities stolen from their homeland and sold to the highest bidder.
While that is most certainly awful — and a practice that was, is, and should always be condemned — that is not actually what St. Paul meant when he referred to himself as a “servant” or “slave” of Christ in Romans 1:1. Paradoxically, the kind of slavery that Paul has in mind leads us to the ultimate form of freedom. So what, then, does it mean to be Jesus’ slave?
It means that every single aspect of your life — your gifts, skills, talents, and obedience — is offered up to Christ for His purposes. You fulfill the mission He has uniquely called you to, which exists within the broader mission of the church: to spread the Gospel and shine forth the light of God’s truth in a culture bathed in darkness. You must bring the entirety of your life under the lordship of Jesus Christ through obedience to His commands.
As a husband and father, being a slave to Jesus Christ means leading my family as the spiritual head of the household. God has called me to be a provider, protector, and priest who teaches and instructs my wife and children in order to assist them in properly worshiping the Lord. I do this by setting aside time each day to pray and read with my family as a whole, while also encouraging them to participate in an active, lively relationship with Jesus on their own. This form of obedience helps bring about God’s vision for the family, and it requires my gifts and talents to do this effectively. When done in accordance with sacred scripture, family devotions become an offering to God.
My family does not solely belong to me. It belongs to God. He binds me to fulfill this duty and to do so with a heart that burns with love for Him and with joy that He has included me in this amazing, beautiful purpose.
As a writer, I submit to Jesus Christ by using my abilities to spread His truth—which goes beyond just the Gospel — to the world through words. The Lord has tasked me with using words — which He used to form all of creation — to confront evil in our culture and present the solution to the wickedness in the world found in scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church. By striving for excellence in my work, remaining diligent, and submitting to the authority of those who oversee my efforts, I use this gift not only to provide for my family but also as an offering to Christ. I do it His way, not my way.
Every decision I make, no matter what it relates to, must align with the revealed will of God. I take God’s law into consideration in everything I do. Well, I strive to anyway. I am very far from perfect, so I goof up quite a bit along the way. Thankfully, God is merciful and gracious. He wants me to succeed, so He provides abundant forgiveness for the times I get it wrong.
This is what it means to be a slave to Christ. It means understanding that your life is not your own. Someone purchased your soul with the highest price imaginable: the life of the Lord of all creation. It belongs to Him. You belong to Him. As a servant of the Lord, you accept this reality and submit to it, obeying God in every facet of your life. And in that obedience, you gain freedom from the darkness that harms you. You are free to live life as it was meant to be lived. That is what freedom means.
A slave to Christ fulfills the mission he or she was created for, filling the spirit with a joy and happiness that those still living in sin do not have or understand. Freedom from negative consequences. Freedom from eternal punishment. A slave to Christ is freer in his or her slavery than someone who indulges every whim and desire and mistakenly believes that copious amounts of sex, power, and money grant true autonomy. In reality, that person is the true slave, serving the evil one, a cruel master. They constantly search for fulfillment in the vices presented to them, but they chase a scratch that never satisfies the itch.
I say all of this to communicate a profound truth: if you truly crave freedom and fulfillment, you must become a slave and pour yourself out for the glory of Christ.
