I had one of those incredible moments in the Word the other day. One of those moments when something so often overlooked jumped off the page at me. It was one of the defining leadership moments. One of those moments when all I could do was say, “yes Lord I hear you.”
Most leaders have a clear understanding of their calling. Some are called as pastors, some as entrepreneurs, some as international workers, or children’s workers, youth leaders, labors, doctors, elders, administrators. For many leaders they become accustomed to identifying themselves by their calling. I’m a pastor. I’m an international worker. I’m a banker. I’m a businessman.
I admit I do that all the time. Every Sunday I introduce myself to our congregations as the “Lead Pastor of Norwalk Alliance Church.”
So on Thursday in the window at the coffee house I’m focusing in on a new devotional study I wanted to undertake. Seeking insight into Paul’s leadership I planned to do a slow and deliberate study, pouring over the Book of Romans. Using the English Standard Version I dove in. I managed to get all the way through the first verse before the Holy Spirit opened my eyes.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, (Rom 1:1 ESV)
There it is. Huge isn’t it.
Do you see how Paul thinks of himself? Look at his introduction. It isn’t “Paul, the Apostle, the carrier of the Gospel to the Gentiles.” No it’s “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle.”
Apostle was what God choose for Paul. It was the calling he laid upon him.
Servant was what Paul chooses for himself. It was the posture, the identity he assumed.
Wow! Paul identified himself first as a servant. Not just a servant a slave, a doulos, a bought for and owned bond slave. How Paul thought of himself was vastly different than how I normally thought of myself. If you’re like me it’s easy to think of yourself as leader with a calling. Paul saw himself as a servant with call.
How do you think of yourself?
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