Part 2: Influence Grows as You Serve Passionately

Acts 20:19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.

Paul made lasting influence with limited time by serving with passion. When Jesus came to earth, He knew He had a limited time to create lasting influence. So, instead of taking on the role of a king, He stepped into the role of a servant. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus demonstrates that the best way to have lasting influence is to serve passionately.

Serving is actually the outflow of our inward passion for God. Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” The word “enthusiastic” comes from two Greek words meaning “God Within.” The measure to which you have God control is going to be directly tied to the service that is flowing out of you. Being enthusiastic is not about working something up as much as it is about taking the right things in. As you take in God’s word, God’s Spirit, and fellowship with God’s people it will instill a passion that will grow and influence others as it flows out of you. Serving is an avenue where your passion and your faith are displayed. You are going to have a very limited influence unless you are willing to serve. Perhaps that is why Jesus said who ever wants to be great in my kingdom must be the servant of all. He knew that service precedes influence.

Today’s Challenge: Serve out of an inward passion for God. Take time today to feed your passion for God and then allow it to influence others by flowing out of your life through service to the Kingdom.