Slave to no other is an idea, a vision, a passion, and a way of life.
Slave to no other is the understanding that life is not just about me. It is a realization that as humans, we are lured by much that competes for our attention and not all of it is worthwhile.
Slave to no other is an ideal for how I see life — life not as I define it, but as defined by the One who gives me this next breath. It is an understanding of the present and a vision for the future. Rather than brazenly forging my own way, I see the path ahead given by my Master.
Slave to no other is a zeal for the single tried and true way of the Creator and an abandoning of faux solutions, delusional self-confidences, and counterproductive methodologies. It is a passion for a God-shaped life.
Slave to no other is a lifestyle, a way of making decisions, a way of responding to life’s challenges, and a way of approaching others. It is a way of devotion, a path of discipleship, a pair of glasses through which we see life, and a compass to help us follow behind the master, Jesus.
Slave to no other is a confession that I don’t have all the answers, that I’ve generally screwed up lots of things in life, and that I need help. It is a way of personal prioritization on the long-term path of wisdom rather than seeking to invent the next quick fix. It is a vision of faith that is not merely expressed in ideas without action, or actions to appease some sort of overlord, but a delighted and awe-filled response to the Creator of the universe that, because it is genuine, is naturally seen in daily actions of life.
About the Image
This site’s image shows the Israelite king Jehu bowing before and presenting tribute to the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III around 841 B.C. This black limestone obelisk was found at Nimrud in northern Iraq and is the earliest visual depiction of an Israelite king.
Although he did end some of the pagan Baal worship of the day (2 Kings 10:28), “Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.” (2 Kings 10:31 ESV) For this site, he serves as an example of how not to be devoted to God. This image shows him bowing before another king and to their god who is depicted above his head. Jehu betrayed the trust given to him by God as king of Israel by giving things devoted to God to this foreign power, not trusting God for deliverance, and not removing the spiritual distractions that wooed God’s people away from worshiping only the Creator.
Followers of God are called throughout the Bible to have a single-minded devotion. This image reminds us of what not to do — bow to other gods when it is expedient. This site is about God’s call to worship and serve Him with a single-minded devotion. Rather than always giving in to pressures of the many voices that surround us or the most sensible and expedient option available to us, God calls us to give ourselves to Him alone.
Want More Details?
See this essay regarding how this theme is expressed throughout the Old and New Testaments.
