Follow the leader is only fun (and safe) if the leader is good.
I can remember, as a child, leaders who took us through mud puddles, had us climb the monkey bars with our eyes closed, or who told us to tell a secret out loud. They may have been popular, confident and eager to lead, but their focus was on that very moment and their own experience, rather than an authentically good experience for all.
Sometimes it seems as though that has been the case within the Christian community.
Leaders rise who are popular, confident and eager to lead, but their focus is on that very moment and their own experience.
And we follow them.
We follow the leaders who are pleasing to our eyes, whose messages in song, in word, in written form are pleasing to our ears. We follow the leaders who have ‘friends’, ‘followers’, ‘likes’ and ❤ . We follow those who speak their truth, opening up their every skeleton’ed closet to do a show-and-tell for us.
We follow those who dress like us, speak like us, think like us … sin like us.
We follow those who have music contracts, book contracts, speaking contracts … those whose podcasts we listen to, books we buy, videos we watch, blogs we read (ouch … but true), churches we ‘visit’ like amusement parks.
Isaiah 53:6 reminds us who we are:
“We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost.
We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.”
This verse is true of we who follow, but it is also true of those who we are following. If we have a heartbeat and a soul, we are all followers … and we tend to follow whoever smells good at the moment, whoever shines bright, whoever offers us sustenance for the moment (not necessarily long lasting nutrition).
But what, who are we following?
If we are following anyone and anything with more of our time and energy than what we put into following Christ … what the Word of God says of him … we are following the wrong one.
We need to acknowledge that “we have abandoned our first love” (Rev. 2:4) and return to that love for our God, which we learn and understand in his word, which has been here since the beginning of our world.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
Let me say, if you are following me as a theological or faith expert … run … run fast and far. I am no expert. I do hope that if you read my words you are encouraged, you are reminded of how much God loves you,
I hope I push you toward God’s word … to read it, search it for THE TRUTH … MY truth is redundant.
We need to follow the leader who will lead us, safely, into the most authentic of life experiences.
God is the leader.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
“Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
“He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35
itsawonderfilledlife 