I Want to be an Under-Rower

We live in a proud world. We are proud of our jobs, proud of our kids, proud of our success. We do it all on our own. No one else should get the credit except us. But that is not who I want to be. I know I cannot exist without the help of Jesus. I cannot even drive into the "city" or go grocery shopping without wanted to give into human nature and put someone in their place. That is not who I want to be.

I want to follow the example Christ set, I want to be a servant. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:1, "Let a man so consider us, as servant of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." The world Paul uses here for servant is huperetas. It is the same word was also used in "classical Greek culture to describe the punishment that criminals had to endure. Criminals were considered outcasts of society and were frequently sentenced to row in the belly of a ship, and they were often required to live below deck. They were the engines that pushed the ships ahead; huperetas were called under-rowers (Conflict Management for Church Leaders; Goodall, Wayde; p57)." 

I like the picture that this paints. Being an under-rower could not have been an easy job: being away from home and family, crammed below deck with others like you, struggling to move the ship along at the desired speed. It was not those in control who were moving the ship along, but those who were there to serve. 

I want to be an under-rower taking my direction from Christ. I want to be one of the servants who help to move the ship along. I want to show His power and strength as He works through me. I want to have a servant attitude where I am able to remain humble, leaving pride behind, and continually giving credit for everything in my life to Christ alone. I want to live so in the end I will hear "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful in the few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21)."