Bob Dylan and the Apostle Paul Serve Somebody

Bob Dylan sings a great song about the inevitability of service. The lyric says, “You gotta serve somebody. Yes, indeed, you gotta serve somebody. It may be devil. It may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!” In other words, the question is not if you will serve, but whom you will serve.

This is not a new idea for Christian folk. The Apostle Paul told the church in Rome that they would indeed serve someone. In Romans 6:16, Paul writes, “Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient servants, you are servants of the one you obey--whether you are servants to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” Again, the question is not if you will serve, but whom you will serve.

Keep in mind that (for Paul) choosing whom you will serve is not a matter of deciding between equals. Serving Jesus blesses people with righteousness and life. Serving sin and the devil leads to death.  Even though we have to serve somebody, the benefits and blessings of service to Christ far outweigh the alternative.

As you go through the coming week, serve Jesus. Serve Jesus intentionally. Serve Jesus persistently. In doing so, you will find blessings and riches in serving a good and faithful God. You will also find freedom from the less than equal alternative.