At the Pleasure of the King

In the news, as President Bush shuffles his cabinet, I hear a phrase often used by political appointees: "I serve at the pleasure of the President." I assume that means, "I serve when, where, and if the President places me. I serve in the position that will promote the President's agenda. I serve with the President's desires in mind." It reminded me of an encounter Jesus had with a Roman centurian. The centurian was describing his understanding of how his servants responded to his authority: "For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." (Matt 8:99) The centurian was saying, in efffect, "They serve at the pleasure of their master." Today I have kept in the forefront of my thinking, "I serve at the pleasure of the King." The thought meant different things to me at different moments of my day. Hidden nuances unfolded as I applied the thought to specific incidents and emotions. Always, though, it brought me pleasure and a sense of purpose. I think I'll do it again tomorrow. I think I'll fall asleep remembering, "I serve at the pleasure of the King." I think I'll make it my first conscious thought in the morning. "I serve at the pleasure of the King."