Good Morning All,
So, I guess I am not the world’s greatest
traveler. I don’t ride along really
well. In fact, there are only about 7 or
8 people that I am comfortable riding with.
Outside of them, I can ride but I don’t ride comfortably. I am usually tense on the ride. Given the choice, I will drive over
riding. Riding makes me nervous. I can never sleep in a car or even rest. I have never been really good at being the
passenger.
Part of the problem is that I like to be
in control. It isn’t about trust; it is
about control. If a decision needs to be
made, I at least want to be involved.
That is why I like to drive; I like to decide if we go faster or
slower. I like to decide if we bypass a
town or go through it. I decide when it
is time to stop. These all play a part
in the process. I like to have some
control.
There are probably many of you like
this. Maybe it isn’t about driving; it
may be about how the house is maintained or how the home finances work. Perhaps you like to have some control at your
place of work. It may be a small thing
but we like to have a little control in life.
This is often why we struggle with faith; we want control.
When Jesus says, “come follow me!” it
means he drives and we ride. It doesn’t
mean that we drive and listen to his direction; it means he drives. We listen to him and follow him but how do we
do this? We do this by reading and
hearing his Word and instruction. When
Jesus says feed the hungry; that is what it means. When Jesus says give them something to drink;
that is what it means. Too often we make
it complicated. We try to have control and change what is written to mean what
we want it to mean. We look to him, in
faith, and then follow the path that he takes.
We are to be humble, thankful, generous, and compassionate. We are to love others.
Love them; not just don’t be mean to them
but to love them. We are to reach out to
them with God’s compassion. We are to
follow Jesus and the example that he set.
Following Jesus means taking the same path that he took. It means laying down your life. Now laying down your life doesn’t necessarily
mean physically dying, it means placing your wants below the needs of your
neighbor. It means that you don’t get to
drive; it means that Jesus gets to drive.
He picks the routes, he picks the speed, he picks the time to stop. These may be different for different people
but it is because Jesus is the driver and we are the passengers; we follow.
Dear Lord Jesus, your invitation to follow you sounds so simple
yet we make it so complicated. We try to
lead when we should follow, we try to speak when we should only listen. Give us the wisdom to listen and to
follow. Guide us through the path that
you have chosen that we may become the fishers of men. Guard us with your grace. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret
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