Who Is Your Master?
'Master' is a tricky word nowadays. We all like to see ourselves as lords of our own fate.
"I do what I want."
"No one can tell me what to do."
"I make my own decisions."
These are lies—lies fueled by pride.
Everyone is ruled by something. Everyone has a master. That is the nature of mankind. It is the nature of all creation. None of us is truly our own master. The real question is: What are you serving?
The Bible offers a list of things people serve:
- Money (Matthew 6:24)
- Sin (Romans 6:16-18)
- The flesh (Galatians 5:16-17)
- Idols (Exodus 20:3-5)
- The world (1 John 2:15-17)
In summary—humanity tends to serve creation rather than the Creator. It's what we do best.
Modern Thoughts on Mastery
Let’s talk about what comes to mind when we hear the word 'Master'.
Most of you, when you read that word, imagine a cruel, foul-mouthed tyrant—a whip-wielding beast of a man who sees others as less than human and squeezes them for his own gain. This is what history has taught us. It’s the legacy of mankind: tyranny. Even now, we continue to oppress one another. Those in power step on those beneath them.
Because of this, we recoil at the idea of being subject to anyone. Some of us learned the lesson early—through parents who misused authority, teachers who belittled us, or bosses who treated us unfairly. Nearly everyone has had a bad leadership experience. Many have had multiple.
And since a master is a leader, our negative experiences have distorted our understanding of the word. We hear “master” and instinctively reject it.
But poor leadership does not define leadership as a whole.
What Makes a Good Master?
In recent years, we’ve made great strides in understanding what good leadership looks like. We discuss leadership styles, and among them, we emphasize:
- Servant Leadership – Guess who was a suffering servant? (Isaiah 53:3-5)
- Transformational Leadership – Guess who transforms lives and urges people to grow? (Romans 12:2)
- Democratic Leadership – Yes, God is not a democratic leader, but He is not an autocrat either. He listens. More than that, He wants to listen. He longs to hear our thoughts, and He invites us into conversation with Him (Isaiah 1:18). Theocracy is not the same as autocracy.
We all long for a leader who cares for us, sacrifices for us, has wisdom to guide us, and encourages us along the way. That’s exactly who God is—Father (Love), Son (Sacrifice), and Spirit (Guidance and encouragement).
God is the ultimate leader. The ultimate master.
God Is Great
Everything I’ve said so far is true—God is the perfect master because He exemplifies all the attributes of a good leader. He is the gold standard.
But there is another reason why God is the perfect master: because He is God.
One day, I’ll write about what it truly means for God to be God. But for now, let’s focus on one thing: God is awesome.
"Awesome" is a word that has lost its weight due to overuse. But consider its true meaning:
Awesome: extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.
What’s something you’ve experienced that made you tremble in admiration or fear?
For me, it was the ocean. As a child, I marveled at its vastness—seemingly endless, teeming with life, some of which we likely haven’t even discovered yet. The ocean is awesome. But God is greater.
Everything that exists submits to something greater. And God is the greatest. One day, every knee will bow. Whether you call Him Adonai today or not, you will bow, because He is greater than all.
'That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.'
Philippians 2:10-11
Adonai and Obedience
It’s easy to talk about how God humbled Himself as a suffering servant and how He transforms our minds to look like Christ. But relationships go both ways. What is expected of a servant?
Obedience.
I have found that this is the hardest pill to swallow.
Our hearts are stubborn. We want our way—nothing more, nothing less. If God’s commands align with what we already want, great. If not, we ignore them. We tune out, shift our gaze, and pretend not to hear when the pastor calls for offerings or states we are going on outreach. We practice convenient Christianity. Why? Because we love the world.
James had something to say about this:
This is a real struggle, and I’m not here to shame you about it. Transformation takes time. But it won’t happen unless you take action.
What do you need to do?
- Ask the Holy Spirit for help
- Read your Bible.
- Pray.
- Go to church.
It sounds too simple, and that's because basics often are. These are the basics, but we neglect them.
You need spiritual nourishment—feeding on God’s Word, spending time with Him, and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you. That’s how you develop the fruit of the Spirit, starting with love.
Guess what Jesus said was the greatest commandment?
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
Mark 12:30
And the second?
'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
Mark 12:31
So let’s obey our Master’s command. Pray. Read your Bible. Go to church.
Final Thoughts on Adonai
I wrote this entire article without diving deep into the history of Adonai.
Amazing.
Adonai is a Hebrew word often translated as 'Lord' in English. Since it is Hebrew, it appears in the Old Testament, not the New (which was written in Greek).
It comes from the root word Adon, meaning 'lord' or 'master.' While Adon can refer to human rulers or masters, Adonai is a specific and respectful form that refers exclusively to God. The suffix "-ai" intensifies it, emphasizing God's supreme authority.
The Israelites considered God's personal name, YHWH (יהוה), too sacred to speak aloud. Instead, they replaced it with Adonai when reading Scripture—a tradition still upheld in Jewish communities today.
I hope you learned something. More than that, I hope this made you think.
I’ll leave you with one question: Who is your master?
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