We're Called to Follow the "Living" God

Jesus says "follow me" 23 times in the new testament. He didn't ask us to follow rules and regulations, men and their traditions, He simply said, "Come, follow me." We're invited to follow the Living God! That's what the resurrection was all about... HE LIVES! The christian life isn't just about eternal life, it's about a relationship that begins now as we interact with our Father who lives in us. Because He lives in us, we are able to share a more intimate relationship with Him today than we could even if He lived in the flesh along side of us. 


I used to think of worship as something I did on Sunday mornings or during midweek service, as well as on Christmas and Easter. Now I see worship as my daily walk with Him. I wake up every morning aware of God's presence in me. I tune in as the living God leads me towards things that are beneficial for me and those around me, and asks me to step away from the things that will harm me. He doesn't force me or threaten me to follow Him, He gives me freedom to choose to follow or not. When I ignore His warnings, I suffer; not because He punishes me or withdraws His love, but I suffer the natural consequences of my choices. By not following Him, I may be missing out on some beautiful blessing He has in store for me. When I follow where He leads, even if it involves enduring hardship and pain along the way, I find that if you asked me if it was worth it, I'd say, Yes! 1000 times yes!


I love how God's spirit nudges me towards tasks that He specifically has for me. Things that will fill me up and delight me as well as accomplish His good works. Of coarse there are some things that He calls all His children to... (ie. love one another as I have loved you), but He also has specific tasks for each of us and in that way does not lead us all in the same direction. We each must listen to where He calls us individually. To communicate with God, we don't have to go through priests anymore, Jesus is the high priest, and He lives in us and speaks directly to us. Don't think for a minute that someone can hear God for you better than you can! He has countless ways to speak to us, externally: through the bible, music, books, poetry, films, art, people... but He also speaks individually to each of us internally. The best advice we can give another is to listen to God's spirit.


For years I felt the burden of coming up with, or joining others in, tasks that I thought would please God and heal His broken world; then I'd pray for God to be with us. I think I had it a little backwards. First of all, He is already pleased with me and nothing I can do can make Him love me more or less. Secondly, whose following who here? It's not about my agenda and my plans and inviting God in on them. Besides, how would I begin to know how to heal this broken world? He doesn't set the problems of the world on my shoulders and expect me to come up with the solutions. Only God is big enough for that. We are all just part of His body, each here to do our part as He invites us to join Him as He heals the world through us. 


Often when God leads me to a place that is good, I want to set up camp and never leave.  I reason that since so much good has come from this, surely God doesn't want me to move on? But I don't want to hold so tightly to something that I'm not willing to follow where He wants to lead me next. I find that when I try to keep something alive beyond what God intended, it begins to get a stench. I believe God has seasons for things. He may have me doing something for one season and then something completely different in the next.  I've given up on trying to orchestrate my life. The ever increasing joy and freedom of living in Him reminds me that we were never meant to live independently of Him. As I listen to His promptings and follow where He leads, I find Him leading me to some pretty incredible places.