we are slaves

I have been thinking about being a slave to righteousness. I struggle in this American society to imagine how in the world that anything having to do with slavery could be a positive thing. Below is the chunk of scripture I am referencing:

Romans 6

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I had a good conversation with the mom-in-law about this verse today that was eye-opening to say the least. She pointed out that being a slave is human nature. We will serve something. For example, Luke 16:13 and Matthew 6:24 both talk about serving God or money.
My initial thought about slavery was that it was a horrible thing and people were not treated equally, and relationships were abused, etc. Everything I could think of on the topic was bad. This is a picture of what being a slave to sin looks like.
My mom-in-law reminded me that there were also very wonderful slave-owners. Still masters over slaves, but relationally different. These masters treated their slaves like family and provided for them as if they were their own flesh and blood. These masters valued their slaves and cared about their well being. Are you seeing how this reflects our relationship with the Master? Some slaves even vowed never to leave their masters because they knew life with this master was a blessed life and that the master's provision and kindness was rare, and a thing to be valued.
So a slave will do anything for its master. A slave lives a lifestyle that pleases its master. A slave obeys its master. A slave does its master's will. The Master sacrificed His life so that we may be free from the bondage of sin and become slaves to righteousness. May this be ever-true in our lives!

Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.