My morning takeaway: The prescription for joy and a powerful life impact is not serving, but loving. Allow me to K.I.S.S.:
"Servants aren't privy to the Master's business (this is a big)!" Lovers have access!
"As the Father has loved me (perfect love), I have loved you (modeled), now, love each other the same way and your joy will be full."
"If you do this, not only are you are my friends, but God's friends. He gives his friends whatever they ask, because they are functioning in the authority of my love (the in my name thing has been distorted).
"My command is simple: love each other."
Joy will then find you and empowerment always follows!
Read it for yourself:
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other."
John 15:9-17 NIV