Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Search Archive Print This Article Follow the leader Tuesday, March 11, 2008 John 8:23 Jesus said to them, "You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world." Walking with the one you worship is a tricky thing. Jesus is God, and I am not. But he wants me to learn from him, do what he does, strive to be like him. Can I do that? Except in this one case, my heroes aren't God. In most ways I act toward them as I want to act toward Jesus. At church on Sunday our pastor delineated a "5 step discipleship loop": 1. watch the leader 2. let the leader help you 3. help the leader 4. do it on your own and get feedback 5. repeat with others. What if the leader is Jesus? He wants his disciples (that includes me) to do just what this "loop" describes. I think the basic problem is my lack of humility, which takes two forms: I feel intimidated and, on the other hand, think of myself as equal to Jesus. Paul talked about this in Philippians: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death. ---Philippians 2:5-8 Servants do what they are told. I often do not. God must get sick and tired of telling me things and then watching me ignore his words. I don't even think I hear them a lot of the time. Jesus seemed to hear clearly. Wasn't that because he followed orders? The more he obeyed, the clearer the voice he followed? To become like Jesus is to be like him in this all-important way. Stop and listen. And then ... just do it. My words don't matter, Lord. Yours do. "; Add      Edit    Delete