Many of us are unable to live the life of freedom that Christ has purchased for us because without knowing it we have been made into what is called a "spiritual eunuch." What are they and how do we know if we are one? Read on.
Spiritually castrated
According to Webster's dictionary, a "eunuch" is a castrated male. Such men are unable to have children because they have been deprived of the power to procreate. Based on this definition, spiritual eunuchs are believers who have been deprived of the ability to live a fruitful and powerful life in Christ.
Eunuchs are present in the Bible, and usually serve kings and queens. A eunuch was in charge of Babylonian King Xerxes' harem (see Esther 2:3), and another eunuch held great authority under the Ethiopian Queen Candace (see Acts 8:27).
Some of the most notable eunuchs were serving Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel (see 2 Kings 9:32). Jezebel was a wicked queen who served Baal and caused Israel to sin greatly. Her eunuchs merely served to further her purposes, and were unable to live free lives.
As such, spiritual eunuchs can be active in ministry but are unable to live according to God's purposes because they serve at their leader's pleasure. They have dedicated their lives to the leader's purposes, and are unable to pursue God's purposes for them. Spiritual eunuchs need to be set free!
3 ways to identify spiritual eunuchs
Do you want to live a free life in Christ? Then don't be a spiritual eunuch. Here are some ways to determine if you are one.
1) You enjoy the honor that being associated to a spiritual leader brings
Eunuchs, often serving royalty in close quarters, cling to their master's authority but don't have authority of their own. They do this so that others will notice them and give them honor.
Some church members love it when they get close to their pastors because they think they are now part of the "elite" or the "chosen." The closer they are to their leaders, the more important, entitled, and "anointed" they feel. Sadly, this is so wrong.
Many Christians who struggle with insecurity want to be connected to a renowned preacher or an "anointed man of God" with a huge ministry that has a large number of members because they think they will receive the "boost" that they need when they do so. They boast of their connections because that's where they get their validation and confidence.
2) You serve at your leader's pleasure
Eunuchs dedicate themselves to doing the will of their masters. Spiritual eunuchs dedicate themselves to pleasing the people above them, even at their own expense. They base their value on their ability to please people, especially church leaders.
Such spiritual eunuchs work overtime to please their leaders. Some of them give away all their time, money and resources to please their leaders. They do all that it takes to make them happy, because if they fail they will think of themselves as worthless.
Some spiritual eunuchs don't know it, but the leader could already be taking advantage of them. The Bible tells us that the one we should be pleasing is God and not man. We must not live to please men.
3) You secretly long to live free in Christ but cannot
Here's the most telling of all signs. Spiritual eunuchs want to live free in Christ but cannot because they are deceived or are under the influence of an ungodly leader.
Some church workers feel drained and tired from serving in a seemingly endless number of church activities. They want to rest, but cannot because they feel or think that their leaders will be disappointed if they do. As such, they just keep pushing themselves to work in ministry, even if they don't have time to read their Bibles and pray anymore.
Worse, such Christians don't have a life outside the four walls of the church they are in because they fear that if they stop serving, they won't be accepted anymore.
There's freedom in Christ!
Those are but three of the telltale signs of being a eunuch. If you realized that you are one, don't be discouraged. You can live the life that God wants for you by trusting in Christ!
Jezebel's eunuchs served at her pleasure but when Jehu, a man whom God had sent, arrived, the eunuchs seized the opportunity to be freed from her grip:
"And [Jehu] looked up at the window, and said, "Who is on my side? Who?" So two or three eunuchs looked out at him. Then he said, "Throw [Jezebel] down." So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses; and he trampled her underfoot." (2 Kings 9:32-33)
The Lord Jesus Christ is far greater than this Jehu. He rescued us from captivity to sin and from the dominion of darkness, and transferred us into His Kingdom (see Colossians 1:13).
Because of what He has done, we should no longer fear man's opinions. We can be free from those who seek to take advantage of us. We can pursue His will regardless of what others may say.
