“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” — Romans 8:15
Most men first encounter discipleship through doing something: serving on a team, leading a group, teaching a class, or organizing an event. So, in their minds, discipleship becomes another lane of service — another responsibility to carry well.
But Romans 8:15 reframes the relationship entirely: we have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, not slaves.
The unsaid distortion happens quietly. Men serve God while relating to Him like employees. They fear disappointing Him, fear falling short, fear being replaced. Service driven by slavery produces anxiety, not intimacy.
On the trail, this shows up in overcommitment and quiet resentment. A man working for belonging will eventually feel exhausted by the work meant to bring joy.
Our posture as sons of the Most High God changes that relationship completely. Sons don’t serve to secure love; they serve because they’re loved. The Father’s acceptance becomes the starting line, not the finish.
application
A servant mindset asks, What more must I do? A son asks, Father, what are You doing? That relational shift changes how a man engages ministry, leadership, and responsibility. Romans 8:15 invites men out of fear-based faith into relational confidence.
On the trail, a sons’ walk is faithful, obedient, committed—but the emotional weight is different. They rest between assignments without guilt. They trust the Father’s timing instead of forcing outcomes.
Servants compete for approval; sons celebrate shared inheritance. There’s room on the trail because the Father’s house is secure. Even correction lands differently. Servants hear rejection; sons hear loving formation.
Over time, sonship produces deeper sustainability in service. A man rooted in adoption can serve for decades without losing heart because his identity isn’t tied to usefulness. He is loved in silence as much as in service.
That truth protects joy, humility, and endurance across every season of ministry terrain he’s asked to walk faithfully with God.
Live it out
This week, notice how you relate to God in quiet moments. Do you approach Him as a worker reporting in or a son drawing near?
Begin prayer with “Father,” and let that word slow your heart. Serve where you’re called, but refuse the weight of earning love through effort.
Walk as an adopted son not as a servant.
As that truth settles, service feels lighter, joy returns, and endurance grows because you’re no longer laboring for belonging—you’re living from it on the trail marked out for you.
pray this…
“Father, let my service to You be out of love not a feeling of commitment.”
Photo by Michiel Annaert on Unsplash
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Information lays the foundation—
Practice builds the man.
