Friday, October 22, 2010

Follow the Leader to Belize

Tomorrow morning, Altha and I will leave for our 3rd missionary trip to Belize. Though our itinerary is set, we are quite aware that we must follow His lead.

On the surface, it sounds so simple: Jesus is the leader; we are the followers. But following is not passive participation—it is a discipline: intentional and deliberate. Have you ever been driving behind someone, following them to an unknown place—unfamiliar to you, and become separated? Eventually, they stopped and waited until you caught up. In this experience there is a valuable lesson about being a follower: you must follow closely behind the one who leads you. If too much distance is permitted between you and the one who knows the way, you may wind up lost.

On the night that Peter denied knowing Jesus, Mark says Peter was following “at a distance” (14:54). But following Jesus “at a distance” implies more than physical detachment. It implies a distance in relationship. If we are to be good followers of Jesus, we must stay close to Him—Jesus called it ‘abiding.’ Solomon said, “acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight (Prob. 3:6).

As we return to Belize, pray that we will be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit at each twist and turn—resulting in a straight path! On our return we’ll be able to share the many wonderful ways that God led us.

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