The first time we see the Emperor in the original trilogy is when he speaks to Darth Vader via a hologram in ESB. Vader's Super Star Destroy leaves the asteroid field to have a clear transmission, and then Vader drops to his knee.
A kneeling Vader asks, "What is thy bidding, my master?"
The ensuing conversation concerns Luke Skywalker, Luke's threat to the Emperor, and his plans to rule the galaxy.
Vader is under the Emperor's authority and does his bidding.
It takes until the end of ROTJ, but Vader eventually changes his allegiance and becomes devoted once again to the light side.
We all serve someone or something. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
If someone looked at our calendars and browser histories or tracked our spending habits, what would they see us serving?
Are we serving debt? Or accumulating money?
Sports (specific teams or getting our kids to play)?
What about fame? Celebrities? TV shows or "reality TV"?
Jobs? Status? Sex (pornography, multiple partners, pleasure)?
We do not always bend our knees and ask, "What is thy bidding, my Master" but we do seek out what we want to do.
What if, like Joshua in Joshua 24:15b, we declare, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
"No, Lord" is an oxymoron – a contradiction in terms. If we say "no," He is not Lord. If He's Lord, we cannot say "no."
Pray today that we make Him the Lord of our lives each day.
