Consumer or Servant?

I was recently listening to a conversation between my husband and son.  My son made a profound statement. “When you go to church you are either a servant or a consumer.”  Think about that for a minute and ask yourself, “What am I?  Am I a servant or a consumer?” Did you just suck in a breath?  I sure did when I heard the statement. 

I know this is long, but you will find Mr. Daniel Webster’s definitions for servant, consumer, and consume below.  Well worth the read. I copied it straight from the 1828 Dictionary website: https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/servant .  It surely made me pause and suck in a breath.

SERV'ANT, [L. servant, from servo, to keep or hold; properly one that waits, that is, stops, holds, attends, or one that is bound.]

1. A person, male or female, that attends another for the purpose of performing menial offices for him, or who is employed by another for such offices or for other labor, and is subject to his command. The word is correlative to master. Servant differs from slave, as the servant's subjection to a master is voluntary, the slave's is not. Every slave is a servant but every servant is not a slave.

Servants are of various kinds; as household or domestic servants, menial servants; laborers, who are hired by the day, week or other term, and do not reside with their employers, or if they board in the same house, are employed abroad and not in the domestic services; apprentices, who are bound for a term of years to serve a master, for the purpose of learning his trade or occupation.

In a legal sense, stewards, factors, bailiffs and other agents, are servants for the time they are employed in such character, as they act in subordination to others.

2. One in a state of subjection.

3.In Scripture, a slave; a bondman; one purchased for money, and who was compelled to serve till the year of jubilee; also, one purchased for a term of years.

4. The subject of a king; as the servants of David or of Saul. The Syrians became servants to David. 2 Samuel 8:2.

5. A person who voluntarily serves another or acts as his minister; as Joshua was the servant of Moses, and the apostles the apostles the servants of Christ. So Christ himself is called a servant, Isaiah 42:1. Moses is called the servant of the Lord, Duet. 34.

6. A person employed or used as an instrument in accomplishing God's purposes of mercy or wrath. So, Nebuchadnezzar is called the servant of God. Jeremiah 25:9.

7. One who yields obedience to another. The saints are called servants of God, or of righteousness; and the wicked are called the servants of sin.

8. That which yields obedience, or acts on subordination as an instrument.

9. One that makes painful sacrifices in compliance with the weakness or wants of others.

10. A person of base condition or ignoble spirit.

11. A word of civility. I am, sir, your humble or obedient servant.

Then, I looked up the word Consumer.  Below is the only definition that was listed for the word.

CONSUMER, noun One who consumes, spends, wastes or destroys; that which consumes.

So, this led me to the word consume.

CONSUME, verb transitive [Latin, to take. So, in English we say, it takes up time, that is, it consumes time.]

1. To destroy, by separating the parts of a thing, by decomposition, as by fire, or eating, devouring, and annihilating the form of a substance. Fire consumes wood, coal, stubble; animals consumeflesh and vegetables.

2. To destroy by dissipating or by use; to expend; to waste; to squander; as, to consume an estate.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:3.

3. To spend; to cause to pass away, as time; as, to consume the day in idleness.

Their days did he consume in vanity. Psalms 78:33.

4. To cause to disappear; to waste slowly. My flesh is consumed away. Job 38:1.

5. To destroy; to bring to utter ruin; to exterminate. Let me alone-- that I may consume them. Exodus 32:10.

Kudos if you have made it this far!  Sometimes, we really don’t need to expound on a topic when others have stated it so plainly. However, did any of the terms jump out at you?  First, I did notice that Webster clearly delineated the line between servant and slave.  Definitely not the same.  But then, look back up at the words under the definition for consume.  I underlined some of them.  The words are strong and harsh.  They paint a picture of something that once it’s carried out, can’t really be undone. Don’t get me wrong.  We are ALL consumers in some way, shape, or form, every single day of our lives. That is the way God designed us.  Here’s the part to think about.  Are we consumers and servants in the way God wants us to be? Picture yourself in church. Picture yourself worshipping. Which role are you filling? Consumer or Servant? Maybe both.

In the famous words of my former principal, Maureen Tiller, “Make it a great day or not.  The choice is yours.” Which will you choose today: Consumer or Servant?