“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).
“…you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Yes indeed, you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” (1)
When used in the context of 1 Thessalonians 1:9, the word “serve” is associated with the following definition: to obey, submit to, or to yield obedience. (2) While there may be those who feel as if they are not in submission to anyone, that is not entirely accurate. You see, everyone serves a master whether or not they realize it.
To illustrate this reality, let’s revisit the concept of idolatry from earlier in this chapter. Once something has become more important than God in our lives, that thing (whatever it is), essentially becomes our “god.” With this in mind, we can say that there is a common denominator that often defines those who seek to displace their Creator from His rightful place of authority in their lives. When people attempt to replace God with something else on the priority scale of life, they typically replace Him with themselves.
For instance, this mentality is often reflected in an attitude that says, “I do whatever is best (or whatever works) for me.” In this manner, we prioritize the fulfillment of our wants, needs, desires, and interests as we perceive them and demote our Creator to second place status (or worse). Unfortunately, those who adopt that kind of self-serving mindset often fail to recognize it even though it may be painfully obvious to others.
This attitude also runs counter to the counsel given to us in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” However, those who “…serve the living and true God” and follow the tenets of the Scriptures benefit themselves and others as well. For example…
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4 NIV).
“When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow” (Romans 12:15 TLB).
“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24 NIV).
So while we may have the ability to choose our master, a “no master” option is unavailable to us. In other words, “…you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
(1) Bob Dylan, Gotta Serve Somebody Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music
(2) G1398 douleuo Thayer’s Greek Lexicon https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g1398