Servility of the Spirit

In her classic book, The Fountainhead, author Ayn Rand asked, "If physical slavery is repulsive, how much more repulsive is the concept of servility of the spirit?"

At first this question resonated with me because I believe both physical slavery and the breaking of someone's spirit to be repulsive. However, armed with the knowledge that Ayn Rand was an atheist, I began to think deeply about her question and ask myself what servility of the spirit really means.

The bible says in Romans 6:16 that "to whom you yield yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey." 

That means that to whomever, or whatever, we surrender or cease resisting we become the slave of that person or thing.

Prisoners, with all of their talk of bravado and hatred of authority, are still choosing to yield themselves as slaves. This slavery might be to an addiction, the incessant chase of money, or to the control of their own passions and anger. Whatever their chosen master, prisoners have obeyed to the harm of another.

Prisoners are not alone in their surrender to slavery though. Millions of the law-abiding public have likewise chosen to yield to the brutal masters of addiction, anger, uncontrolled passions, or to a host of other tyrants. Whether this obedience results in breaking the law or not, every cruel master creates chaos and leaves destruction in its wake. 

We all choose to serve something or someone. If that someone is self we might just discover what a cruel and destructive master we can be. Instead of serving ourselves maybe we should take the advice of Paul and, "through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13)