Week 3: Serving the right Master

This week the reading plan is as follows:

* Sunday (epistles): Romans 5-6
* Monday (the Law): Genesis 8-11
* Tuesday (history): Joshua 11-15
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 6-8
* Thursday (poetry): Job 5-6
* Friday (prophecy): Isaiah 12-17
* Saturday (gospels): Matthew 5-7

Several times in the past months we've talked about the S.O.A.P. method for journaling. SOAP stands for: Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. As you read your bible daily, we encourage you to use the SOAP method to journal:

1) select one verse (or section) that really grabs your attention that day;
2) make some simple observations about the text (for example by asking yourself questions like 'Why', 'Who', 'When', 'Where', 'What', 'How', etc.)
3) make an application for yourself, based on the observations you made
4) close your time with a simple prayer, such as asking God to help you follow through on your application

Here's a SOAP example based on this week's reading.

Scriptures:

Romans 6:16
"Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. ... 18.Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness."

Matthew 6:24
"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Observation:
These verses from the letter of Paul to the Romans, and the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:24 stood out to me today. They are both linked together. Paul is saying that before we knew Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were servants (slaves) to this master called "sin". Basically, without fully knowing it, we were slaves of sin, trapped in a destructive lifestyle that would ultimately lead to eternal death. But when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we no longer were slaves to sin, but rather slaves (servants) of Jesus Christ, and a lifestyle of righteousness that comes with that.

Jesus is saying similar things in Matthew 5-7, his famous sermon on Mt. of Olives, also known as the 'beatitudes'. He is calling everyone to obey God and serve Him. Do away with your old sinful lifestyle, and give your life to Him. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus makes it very clear that we cannot choose both: once we serve God in our new lifestyle, we cannot hold on to our old sinful lifestyle. We cannot serve two masters. Instead we have to CHOOSE.

The apostle Paul also emphasizes that we have to choose: choose sin which leads to death, or choose to obey God. It's a choice that we have to make.

Application:
If I look at my own life, too often I find myself trying to serve two (or more) masters. I try to serve God, but I also try to please many of the other masters in my life, like people, money, sinful behavior. These words from both Paul and Jesus himself are a call to action for me, to get rid of the other masters, which means to not SERVE them like a slave, but only be committed to Jesus Christ as the only master in my life.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that too often I try to serve too many masters. You know that it is not my intent, but rather a left-over of my old selfish lifestyle. I pray that you help me to become more and more committed to you alone, and make your son Jesus Christ the only master in my life. In his name I pray, amen.

Have a great week as you serve our Lord.

In Him,
Dick