Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year OneНамуна

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us (3 John 9).

What is your number one priority in life?

John apparently wrote an earlier letter to the church as shown by the past tense verb "I wrote”. Diotrephes, who is self-centered, perhaps suppressed the letter from the congregation. He "loves to have the preeminence" which literally means he loves to be first. The apostle reports to Gaius that he "does not receive us”. Diotrephes shunned John's apostolic authority by not welcoming those missionaries that he sent to the church. What is Diotrephes' problem? Perhaps he is jealous of John and his authority. Unlike Diotrephes, John remains under Jesus' authority. Paul writes about the Lord Jesus as the head of the church "that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18). Jesus should receive top billing in our lives!

Employment Point: Keep Jesus as your main priority in life and submit to His leaders.