If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

— Romans 10:9

When one of our daughters was young and we told her to do something, her response was sometimes swift: “You’re not the boss of me!”

The idea of having an owner or master, even if it is Jesus, does not come naturally to us. In fact, the notion of being independent from God is what led humanity into sin.

But is having a divine Master or Owner really so bad? My bicycle “lives” in my garage. It is not rusty from sitting in the rain, and the rubber grips are not degraded from extended exposure to the sun. Though I have owned it for years, it still looks new. Every summer I see “ownerless” bikes. Some lay at the bottoms of creeks and rivers. They are coated with mud and rust.

Which bicycle has a better life? The bike lying in a creek never has to work! But no one rides it, either. My bike gets a good workout in nice weather—and it doesn’t mind! It was created to be ridden.

The outcome is similar for horses and dogs and other domesticated animals that live longer and healthier lives under the care of a good master than they can in the wild.

The simple truth is that we will never truly be independent. We are created to live for God, and we will either be servants of Jesus or servants to sin. Being a servant to sin leads to death. But Jesus is the perfect Lord, who loves us—and living for him brings perfect joy!

Jesus, you are Lord. You love us and care for us. Help us to find our true joy and purpose in living for you. Amen.