Titus 1:1; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

We often concern ourselves with self-image.  We may worry about what people see in us and think of us.  It is part of our self-centeredness passed on from our parents who lived in the Garden of Eden.  The more we concern ourselves with self-image it is likely the more we are trying to appear as someone we are not, someone better than what we know ourselves to be.  Let’s think about Paul’s self-image.  How did he view himself?

·        Paul’s general identification of himself was that he was a bondservant.

This is where we miss the boat.  We want to be known as special; but consider how many are referred to as doulos (Greek term for slave, not just a household servant) in the New Testament: Moses, Simeon, Paul, Timothy, Epaphrus, Peter, John the Apostle, James and Jude (both half-brothers of Christ), the one who wants to be great in the kingdom of Christ (Mark 10:44), all the saints (in heaven no less, Rev. 22:3) and of course, Jesus Himself (Phil. 2:7). 

But wait.  You may ask, aren’t we friends (Jn. 15:15)?  Jesus calls us friends instead of slaves; but there are NO believers anywhere in the Bible who go about singing, “I am a friend of God.”  Godly men always recognized their slave-status.  Again you may ask, aren’t we sons (Gal. 4:7)?  Yes, we are.  And we need to know this.  But it is not our self-image, the way we present ourselves to others.  Again, godly men in Scripture did not introduce themselves by saying, Paul a son of God.  They desired to be known as slaves, a term applied to the lowest in Cretan society and everywhere else in the Roman Empire.

What makes for a good slave?  What makes for a lousy slave?  Meditate on the following chart and Scripture passages.

A good slave	A lousy slave
Matt 8:9 he does what he’s told Matt 24:25; 25:21 seeks to be wise – faithful -- good Luke 12:37 watches (aware of his master) Eph 6:6 serves Christ	Matt 25:26 wicked & lazy Matt 25:30 unprofitable Luke 12:45 assumes his master won’t know Eph 6:6 serves men, an “eye-slave”

Before we consider Paul’s specific identification of himself, and our own thought about who we are specifically, we must settle with this thought.  Who am I?  I am God’s bondservant!  If we have this kind of self-image then, like Paul, our first and primary thought will be: Lord, what do You want me to do? (Acts 9:6).