James, the Servant

What do you picture when you see the word servant? Maybe someone like Cinderella laboring for the ugly stepmother. James, the brother of Jesus considered himself in humility as his brother, his Lord's servant or slave. A Servant is someone who surrenders himself up to the will of another. The apostle Paul had been formerly a “bondslave” of Satan. Having been bought by Christ, he was now a willing slave, bound to his new Master. When James applies this term to himself, he obviously means that he is the property of God and of Jesus Christ, and that they have the right to command him and use him. The word, however, does not convey a sense of utter humiliation; it also has a sense of devotion and pride.