Who are you serving?

We all have a master, more likely masters, that we serve with our time and talents. Show me where you spend your time and I’ll show you who is the master of your schedule. Our masters change throughout our life. In some seasons, masters may be our parents, caregivers, and teachers. As we are learning how to be decent humans, we depend on these masters to guide our growth and invest in our character. In other seasons, when we are grown and able to make more choices on our own, who or what we serve can begin to look a lot of different ways. Employers, lovers, children, worldly objects and obsessions, addiction, our pride.

It doesn’t take much more than thinking through the long list of potential masters to realize that they are not all created equal. When you hear the word “master,” does it stir up positive or negative thoughts? Maybe you view the master-servant relationship as entrapment, a lack of freedom, or even abuse. This may speak to your life experiences. Alternatively, you may have a positive perspective, viewing this as a kind and mutually beneficial relationship where both parties are fulfilled and pleased.

There is beauty and freedom in serving someone else. But it can also be distorted into a negative and harmful experience. Like any relationship, the balance hinges on does it take more than it gives?

In reflecting upon my own life, I can recognize the many various masters I have and am serving. Even as an entrepreneur and business owner, I am not free of masters. In fact, I may have to reconcile even more than the average person. Dozens of clients each demand a piece of my time. Mounting projects beckon my attention. My family relies upon my affection, skills, helping hands, and income to thrive. The greater community requests my help for volunteer efforts that stand to make a positive impact. But most importantly, as a Christian, I serve the greatest Master there is. With so much else vying for my time, I am guilty, like many, of pushing God to the bottom of this list.

And then, in moments of clarity, the right words find me, recenter me, and remind me…

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)

So I ask, who are YOU serving today? While you mull this over, allow me to share some perspective I’ve gained recently.

2023 has been a banner year for my business. I’ve had income opportunities fall into my lap that have accelerated my earnings well beyond what I thought possible or even necessary to obtain the lifestyle I set out to achieve when I started my business at just 23 years old. At times, I would laugh with amusement and wonder as to what God is up to in my life. But at a certain point I was also challenged to discern was this God’s will…or was this perceived blessing not a blessing at all.

More is not always better. More is more. And as my client list (and bank account) grew, the only difference I felt was a rise in anxiety. Even though my work schedule remained reasonable and peaceful, I still had the freedom to pursue hobbies and be present with my family, and I had more financial security than ever before, I can tell you that it did not increase my happiness or joy by any notable amount.

But here’s what did change. I was serving a lot of masters and each had a perceived control over my time and competing interests. Even if all my clients’ needs were met, I still felt the weight of “what if.” What if they all have an urgent project arise at once? What if their silence is a sign they’re dissatisfied with my service? What if they are planning to decrease or eliminate my work? The amount of pre-worry I did stole any chance I had of experiencing joy from this business growth. For me, it was a burden that far outweighed the benefits. I needed to realign my masters and that meant getting back to the basics that I know are true and right.

And at just the right time, I found these words…

When your hope lies in your finances, there’s always something to be worried about. Focus instead on gratitude for what you have, generosity with any surplus, and faith that God will provide what you need. “And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19

So I made some hard (very hard) decisions to offboard work and completely step away from certain projects where I felt called to do so. This wasn’t just a small “haircut,” all said it was about 20% of my monthly income (the irony that this perfectly aligns with the 80/20 principle is not lost on me…it’s further confirmation of my decision!). And guess what…nothing bad happened. In fact, not much changed at all. We continued to live generously, and like the loaves and the fishes, it somehow all worked out – with margin!

But this is the most important part. In stripping away many false masters, I allowed a greater focus on the one master who will never abuse the relationship, take advantage of my efforts, or devalue my work. And this felt radically different from the life I had been building up to over the past few years. In the stripping down, I gained freedom, found joy that had been lost, and reinstalled margin in my life – generous margin! And instead of desperately trying to fill that margin, as I was so used to doing, I savored its purpose.

Again I ask, who are what are the masters in your life?

As I said before, more is not always better. More is more. And more masters in your life will always result in undesired consequences. Even if they seem “good” independently, when combined, you will always fall short of expectations. Except when you are aligned in serving just one master, first and foremost. It’s an act of faith and humility to let go and strip things down. It’s coming to terms with pride and admitting we are not in control. But here’s my newfound perspective. I have no right to feel attachment to any of the blessings in my life. Allowing them to ebb and flow, and come and go easily is a far greater way to live. It’s freedom. And if you need any more inspiration on that topic, please read Philippians 4:12-13.

I hope this stirs up something in you. Can you relate to my experiences? Join me in the comments and let’s share inspiration!

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