“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 NKJV
In marketing and communications, there’s a concept called “permission-based marketing,” which allows you to send continuous messages on a particular subject only to those who have permitted you to do so.
This is why brands request your data before sending you any information. You wouldn’t even be reading this devotional if you didn’t permit me.
This is why unsolicited broadcast messages on platforms like WhatsApp annoy me. I mostly ignore them because my permission wasn’t sought. Many times, such contacts get blocked.
Now imagine if Jesus just barged into the door of your heart and demanded that you listen to Him. Would you?
You would block Him and report to the authorities. Why? Because you didn’t give Him permission into your life. This is why He’d rather stand at the door and knock. This way, He’s assured of your attention when you let Him in.
How can we give Jesus access to influence how we work?
Jesus knocks on the hearts of many, but not everyone will hear His voice at the door. We hear multiple voices daily, and sometimes it’s difficult to recognise God’s voice when we’re not sensitive.
We hear the Lord’s voice by constantly feeding ourselves with His Word. Listening to sermons and songs that minister to Him is one way to get in tune.
But hearing His voice is only the first step. We also must yield by opening the door. What does it take you to open a door? You’re most likely not sitting by the door, so you have to stand, walk to the door, and open it. Those are three intentional actions that you make yourself do.
Sometimes, we feel that spiritual growth should just happen or that staying connected to God is automatic. However, everything is intentional.
When we eventually open the door, and He comes in, we don’t leave the door open; we close it. Why? Because leaving it open is an invitation to uninvited guests. This is when negative voices, distractions, and sin walk in.
With the door closed, the feast starts. He’ll dine with us, helping us do God’s will and finishing the work (John 4:34). He’ll stay at that table prepared for us, influencing our actions, for as long as we allow Him.
“I am under Christ’s influence.”
Is the door to your heart open to everything? Or are you intentional about who comes in to influence your life?
Unlike alcohol, which can get you in trouble behind the stirring wheel, when you walk, work, or even drive under Christ’s kind of influence, you get a ticket to an extraordinary life. I’d rather have that than what the police would hand me.
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