Week 26: The Thing About Slavery

I’ve been exhausted lately. Deep, soul-level tired. And the Lord made something clear to me: You are in a season of laboring. In the Greek “labor” means to exhaust yourself in obedience.

The kind of labor Scripture speaks of is not casual effort or shift work. It means to work until you are weary.

Everybody wants the harvest. But very few are willing to exhaust themselves. Serving God, I mean truly surrendering yourself is not easy.

Feels Like Slavery

That’s a word you shouldn’t run from — slavery. Scripture does not soften the language. In 1 Corinthians 6:20 says we were bought with a price. Luke 17:10 says after you’ve done all commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants.” Slavery means ownership.

We are called bondservants of Christ, which in the Greek means “slaves.” (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, James 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, Jude 1:1) Not platform builders or comfort seekers, but slaves. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” A cross was not symbolic. It was execution.

Do You Know the Cost?

The 12 original apostles understood:

James son of Zebedee — killed by the sword.
Peter was crucified upside down.
Andrew was crucified.
Thomas was speared.
Bartholomew was killed.
Matthew was martyred.
James son of Alphaeus was clubbed to death.
Thaddaeus and Simon was killed.
Matthias was stoned and beheaded.
John was exiled for the word of God.
Paul was beaten, imprisoned, and executed.

And it did not stop with them. Stephen was stoned (Acts 7). Believers were dragged from homes and imprisoned (Acts 8:3). Hebrews 11:36–38 speaks of torture, chains, imprisonment, stoning, being sawn in two. There was an era when simply confessing Christ could cost your life. History shows us that under emperors like Nero, Christians were crucified, burned, and fed to beasts.

2 Timothy 3:12 says all who desire to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution — Not might, but will.

However, casual, recreational Christianity costs nothing, it produces comfort, applause, and zero refinement. You can sit in church, say the right words, scroll devotionals, and your life remains untouched. But those who truly LABOR IN THE GOSPEL know the price and the exhaustion.

Work the Fields

So when I say I’m exhausted, I’m not complaining. I’m remembering. Slaves do not choose comfort. They obey the Master. Everybody wants the harvest. But nobody wants to do the work in the field. But the field is where slaves are formed. In the Kingdom of God, slavery to Christ is where true freedom begins.