A servant, no matter what comes

Eric Daniel Aug. 1, 2025

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It seems only right to reflect on what it means to be a servant of Jesus Christ while walking through the unknown journey of a life-threatening illness.

These last few months have, with deep clarity, reminded me that nothing has really changed about my identity or my calling. I'm still His servant. Every medical report, every scan, every procedure, only reinforces the reality of how precious and mysterious are the number of our days; this life is a vapor.

It's easier to write about surrender after the storm has passed—when healing has come and the testimony is neatly wrapped with a bow.

However, this reflection comes from the middle of the battle, from the in-between space, where questions are louder than answers and faith must rise again every morning like the sun.

I remember one moment vividly from the early days of waiting for the "diagnosis." I had a vision of me standing in my backyard near the diving board, facing the trees beyond the pool.

In the first scene, I received the news that the tumor in my sinus was benign, and I dropped to my knees in gratitude.

Then, just as quickly, a second vision followed—this time the news was cancer. Again, I dropped to my knees in gratitude.

The message was clear: my response, regardless of the outcome, needed to be surrender, clothed in thanksgiving.

In that quiet moment, the Spirit of God spoke to my heart, "You decided many years ago to be My servant—not My contractor or a consultant."

That word pierced me. Being a servant means taking the assignments you like AND the ones you don't. It means trusting the Master when the path is hidden and painful. It means not grasping the pen of your story but faithfully walking out the pages as He writes them.

I've preached dozens of messages on the uncertainty of life—how tomorrow is not guaranteed. But there is a vast difference between speaking the Truth from your head and living it in your bones. Felt knowledge changes you.

There is no roadmap for how to respond to every test result, surgery, or sleepless night of worry. I don't have easy answers for suffering or the mysteries of God's providence.

But I do know this: I have trusted Him with everything as far back as my youth. I trust Him with my calling, my family, and now, my health. I have picked up assignments that brought me recognition with joy. Certainly now, I must pick up this assignment from the Lord, carrying it well for His glory. This is not the time to stop!

There's a sacredness in continuing to say "yes" to God, not just when ministry is thriving or when your plans unfold perfectly, but when your hands are trembling and your body is tired. In that place, your identity as a servant is tested, proven, and made pure.

Being a servant of Jesus Christ doesn't mean life won't hurt. It means even in the hurt; you belong to Him. And belonging to Him is enough.

So, whatever assignment comes—be it ease or adversity—may we kneel in gratitude and whisper again, "Here I am, Lord. I am Your servant. Send me."

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Eric Daniel is passionate about empowering others to grow in their Spiritual Leadership. He founded Global Ministry Advance in 2023, a coaching organization, for the purpose of assisting ministers, missionaries and Christian organizations in the development of goals and strategies for greater health. Eric became Senior Pastor of Hillside Church in Napa, CA in 2002, and also serves as an Executive Presbyter for the Northern California and Nevada District Council of the Assemblies of God. Learn More »

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