SJF - Daily Worship, Word and Spirit - Dec. 18, 2023

You have a choice:

Earthly wisdom or Heavenly wisdom?

Earthly authority or Heavenly authority?

Earthly influence or Heavenly influence?

The peace of God or the frustration of man?

Earthly authority and influence can be bought. If you have enough money, you can influence, politicians, judges and even nations.

But Heavenly authority and influence is not bought with money.

Heavenly authority and influence comes through serving.

When you enter a church, you serve until the body recognizes that you are a benefit to the body. Your service makes you greatly valued in the body. When the body recognizes your high level of loving service, it ‘demotes’ you so that you can lovingly serve more people. This means you have more responsibility. More is required. Your service opens doors of greater service. Heavenly authority is not sitting around telling others what to do. Heavenly authority and influence is laying down your life for others.

What do you mean? Are you saying I have to give up binging Netflix and CrunchyRoll?

Maybe. I’m saying that Heavenly authority and influence is selfless. It takes the focus off of what I need. I can stop focusing on what I need because, “My God supplies all my need according to His riches in glory.” But if I don’t focus on what I need, I will wear myself out? Oh, you mean that you need to have a life balance? There is truth in that. In a family, a parent’s life balance means that they balance out who they are serving and when. Sometimes your body needs to be served. It has to eat and rest. It needs a roof and clothes. But life balance means that you keep your relationship with God, through The Spirit, close and permanent. It means that you follow Holy Spirit. But it also means that you, “By love, serve one another.” Who are you serving more than yourself? Those are the ones that you are influencing. Christ Jesus served the whole world in His death and resurrection. But the whole world does not receive His authority and influence yet. In fact, many Christian’s do not receive His authority and influence. Do you allow him to influence you? Do you receive direction and correction from him?

So how does serving work?

First, consider your relationship with God. Receive the service that Christ Jesus did for you. Receive His love, and authority and influence. Then ask Him how you can serve. When you are serving in and through Him, you carry His love, authority and influence.