Daily Devotions – The Servant Heart of the Under-Rower

Reading 1 Corinthians Chapter 4, I find the word the “ministers,” as Paul writes,

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. (1 Corinthians 4:1, KJV)

Breaking down the text, we find that the Greek word for “ministers” here is slightly different than the word for servant, “diakonos” (Strong’s G1249), which we find elsewhere in scripture. The one we see here in Chapter 4 is “hypēretēs” (Strong’s G5257). It also means servant, but more specifically the word is used to describe an under-rower. Quite different from the sometime lofty idea of a minister.

In ancient Greece, galley ships were propelled by the effort of the under-rowers. The title was given to lowly workers whose only job was to row and steer in the lower level of a ship. These men, though vital to the mission stayed out of sight and out mind.

What’s interesting to note is how they kept in sync. That’s where the captain comes in, keeping His workers in sync by the beat of his drum.

Paul uses this word to illustrate the job of ministers, looking to The Master for direction. Following the beat of His drum, we steer others safely to the shore. Not so we are seen and heard, but so He is seen and that His message might be heard.

What do you crave? A crown? Then it must be a crown of thorns if you are to be like him. Do you want to be lifted up? So you shall, but it will be upon a cross. – Charles Spurgeon

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Tilling the Soil

Read 1 Corinthians Chapter 4.

Planting Hope

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. (1 Corinthians 4:1, KJV)

Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.

She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.

It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.

Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.