Sent With Authority

A devotional for Monday

Matthew 28:18
"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth."

Before Jesus tells His followers to go, He reminds them who is sending them. The mission begins with His authority, not our ability. That's important because most of us immediately focus on what we lack. We don't feel qualified enough, knowledgeable enough, confident enough, or spiritual enough. But Jesus never grounded the mission in our credentials. He grounded it in His authority. The same Jesus who defeated sin and death is the One who sends us into the world. We are not representing ourselves. We are ambassadors of Christ. When we remember who is sending us, we stop carrying burdens we were never meant to carry. The pressure is not on us to change lives. Our responsibility is simply to be faithful. Jesus supplies the authority. We supply the obedience.

Question/Challenge:
Where have you been focusing more on your limitations than on Jesus' authority?