My Fashion Over 40 ~ Having Spiritual Authority

This week's Fashion over 40 has only one new item. Can you guess what it is?

I'm sure you figured out it was the scarf.  Oh, and a couple of "new" pounds I gained over Thanksgiving! :P There was just so much good food!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It was so nice having my son and daughter home for the week. I have so much to be thankful for, my family, friends, health, freedom...  I remember times with my grandma and she would start singing... count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done.... Good memories.

So, back to the outfit... I have a little secret to share... You know those jeans? They're actually capris. Yep, they are plenty long enough to sneak inside those boots. Thought you'd like that little tip to extend your wardrobe! I love being able to mix and match pieces.  The possibilities are endless!

I have another funny little thing to tell you...  See that beautiful print hanging on the wall? My daughter actually took that photograph and gave it to me for my birthday.  Her photography has incredibly improved over the last year.

Last weeks picture the wall was bare, and there is a reason for that. Look closely and you'll see the nail.

That's because when my daughter came home, she saw the picture up there and said, "Mom! Did you chop my photo?" I said, "What? No." She continued to inform me that I hung it the wrong way... Ooops! I didn't know there was a "way" to it. So, down it came! But now it's hung correctly.  :)

Having Spiritual Authority

This week at church our associate pastor was "candidating" to be our senior pastor.  It is kinda weird, because we've know him for over 20 years, but that's how our church government works. Then the members of our church vote.  He was voted in by a landslide and we now have a new senior pastor. I am truly looking forward to see what God is going to do in our church!

Can you be a gentle, quite and tender person and still have spiritual authority? Well, this verse says that's what we should be.

1 Peter 3:4New Living Translation (NLT)

4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

The outer man is always on display, the inner man is known by God.  People are attracted to the outer.  Whether it's a person or a church or a car...Whatever is flashy and popular to get your attention. That certainly doesn't mean it spiritual.  I think we've all met people or churches like that... even cars. They look like they got it all together on the outside, but on the inside they're all shallow, no substance, no power.

We need to stop trying to impress people with the "outer".  I'm guilty of it. Worried about what people will think. Blah, blah, blah.... The older I get the less I care, I think that's a good thing. What you see is what you get, the good, the bad, and sometimes it can get ugly...

God wants to work on our inner man.  If we don't spend time with Him, how can we expect to have any spiritual authority or power in our lives?

John 14:30The Message (MSG)

29-31 “I’ve told you this ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. I’ll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. But don’t worry—he has nothing on me, no claim on me. But so the world might know how thoroughly I love the Father, I am carrying out my Father’s instructions right down to the last detail.

Right there, do you see it? Jesus has the ultimate spiritual authority.  Satan has NO claim on Him. But read on, He is under His Father's authority, carrying out His instructions.  So, one of the key's to spiritual authority is to be under spiritual authority.  By submitting you're actually gaining!

Jesus was the perfect example, He didn't throw his weight around demanding this or that.  If He did that, He would have been using manipulation and force. That is the opposite of Christ's example. He led by being a servant, a shepherd, a loving Father.  Lord, help me follow Your example.

Blessings,