Follow The Leader

As children we would occasionally play a game of “Follow the Leader.” Each of us worked hard at imitating every move and action the “leader” performed. Many times the crazier or more difficult the moves the better it was! The only real issue that arose when we began the game was who got to be the leader. Nearly everyone thought they were qualified because they were oldest, or it was their turn, or “I never get to do it”, etc. It seems that as adults we still play that child’s game – along with the same issues of who leads and who follows.

We have a world where people follow religious prophets, political parties, social architects, media personalities and even their own delusions. Following evidently comes naturally to humans, and followers must have leaders. So occasionally someone comes along who is a Mohammed, or a Buddha, or a king, or a Marx, or a Freud, or a movie star; someone who, recognizing this human tendency, offers themselves (either consciously or unconsciously) as the leader who knows how life should be best lived. The greatest short-coming we find is that all of these leaders have “feet of clay” – to borrow a maxim from the book of Daniel – which means that their leadership quickly disintegrates into the selfish emptiness of life as usual or, more often than not, worse.

In contrast there is Jesus! He stands alone in human history as the leader fully suited to guide us through this life and into the next, and not just lead us through some interesting exercises in futility. He provides those who follow Him with a transformational process and clear destination in view. The leadership of Jesus is perfect – any weakness is in our following. It is so easy from the surface level of the world’s viewpoint to just mimic the actions of another, compared to the challenge of following Jesus which requires a deeper commitment and a greater investment of our heart. Yet it is such commitment in following which fulfills the deepest longings of our being, and makes us a part of a Kingdom so different from this world so as to free us from futility and emptiness.
Jesus is the Leader who truly knows the way!

How exciting to be His people,

Pastor David Vanderpool