Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Where I Lead Him, Will He Follow?

Woke up this morning with this old hymn running through my mind; haven't heard it in years, but I still remember the words to the old chorus:


"I will follow where He leadeth;
"I will pasture where He feedeth.
"I will follow all the way, Lord;
"I will follow Jesus every day."

Almost immediately, I was struck with the thought, "What if I were the one leading? Would God follow where I'm going?" I understand that the concept may be difficult to fathom. I mean, we follow God, understanding that He knows the end from the beginning, that He created all things, and that there is nothing in our unseen future that He's not already aware of. 

We follow Him; not the other way around.

But... If I were leading Him, would He follow?

Just before He left this earth at His transformation, Jesus told His disciples, "I will be with you always..." So we, as Spirit-filled Christians, understand that the Spirit of Christ goes with us everywhere, at all times. We take comfort in this during our times of hardship, pain, grief...but what about all those other times when we're not feeling our need of His comforting Spirit quite so strongly? What about when times are good, and we're not leaning on His Spirit quite so heavily?

If He's with me at all times, no matter where I go or what I'm doing, would my steps take Him anywhere He's uncomfortable? If I lead Him, will He follow?

I have absolutely no doubt that anywhere and everywhere He leads me, I'll go; there may be—indeed, there will be—times and places that I don't understand, and no, it may not always be comfortable. However, I know that He's never going to lead me into places or situations that compromise my integrity, my relationship with Him, or the purity of my own heart.

If I were the one leading, would He feel the same?

Observe your own steps today: the pathway you walk, the conversations you have, the material you watch, read, or listen to; take note of your own actions (or reactions), the things you engage in, the words you speak to (or about) others. Would Jesus be comfortable tagging along with you every step of your day today?

At the close of the day, look back over your shoulder and ask yourself the question, "Did I lead Him anywhere He wouldn't have taken me?"

We understand, of course, that God will not allow sin in His Presence, and would never compromise His own Righteousness. Think about your steps today, however, the words you speak, the choices you make, the things you do, and ask yourself this question: 

"Where I lead Him, will He follow?"

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