Post Sunday June 7 2009

Luke 9:59 “Then He said to another, "Follow Me."

At some point of our lives we’ve played follow the leader. I’ve played it, my kids have played it, I’ve watched other kids play it. I’m not sure if the right name for it really is follow the leader. It looks more like when kids play it that it should be called, “Yell at the Leader” or “I Want to be the Leader.” If our kids do play it we want it to be a game in which someone leads and the rest of them do what the game is intended to do, which is: challenge the rest of them to follow, without complaining, without whining, just enjoy the challenge of following. There will be things that the leader does that are easy and those following have that confident look on their faces as they follow. Or the leader may do something difficult and the followers will struggle as they try, but have that extreme look of satisfaction on their faces if they actually complete it.

We all have had many leaders that we have followed, some willingly, some unwillingly. Some great leaders, some poor leaders. Some that raised us up, some that tore us down. Some that caused us great joy and encouragement, some that caused great pain and discouragement. Those truly great leaders in the game follow the leader were the ones that would look back with joy and an inviting look on their face to have you continue on, to succeed at what they succeeded at. I’m sure some of us have people in our past that we followed that were wise enough to know how to balance love and discipline and knew when to look back and encourage and when to keep pushing us further by allowing us to struggle on our own.

Yesterday, we went through the grueling interview process in which Jesus walked three potential followers of His through. Knowing that we serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:22-24) certainly helped us look at our jobs differently. Going into work each and every day with the attitude of serving the Lord Christ means that regardless of what type of leader/boss we have at our jobs means that we serve an even greater leader while we are at work and that leader is constantly, always, forever looking back at us in love and discipline encouraging us on toward Him and toward life. By making Him the priority in our lives we will be more aware of His influence and less aware of the influence of others that may not have our best interests at heart.

What we follow will be what influences us. For those of us who experienced the 80s, the greatest decade in the history of mankind, we may have unknowingly been shaped by those we followed. I still remember when Madonna came on the scene. Girls began dressing like Madonna and living out in subtle ways the Material Girl image, being women who were bold, sexy, strong and able to dominant men and society. Papa Don’t Preach was a song boldly stating, that Dad I know what you said was right, but Oh, well, this is my life, doesn’t matter, live with it bubba. She has been an icon that many have been influenced by no matter if they followed for a short time or not. She has constantly pushed the envelope and encouraged others to as well as we are a people who desire attention and self satisfaction.

For the men the 80s saw a call to lead a reckless, unattached life, only be responsible to self. Movies like Breakfast Club, Risky Business, Footloose, Fast Times At Ridgemont High called men to lead irresponsible lives that would end up in success: you get the girl and your parents respect all by just being an irresponsible guy that despises authority. So the ladies were trying to take control, showing their strength, but the guys were out just not paying attention, learning how to be totally irresponsible

That is just one example, we of course do not subscribe to everything that was taught to us via the media as we grew up, but the fact is we are human beings who follow something or someone. We learn from one another and are taught by one another. We took what we thought was valuable and used it to teach ourselves how we wanted to live.

We did decide to follow something or someone for our mindset toward our work. What mindset has shaped your view of your job and the work that you do?

What leader are you following?

Have you ever noticed where Jesus lead those He called to follow Him? He took them on a journey through the towns, cities and neighborhoods from which they grew up in, those that they one day would return to minister within. Did you catch that? That one day they would return to live, speak, eat, work and breathe in. He led them through not a religious circuit, but a life circuit. The Jesus that you and I have been called to follow is a leader that wants to be among people, all people. Part of being among people is of course working. He knows that you have a great job. He knows that you have a lousy job. But either way He has given you the tools to survive at your job. If it is time to leave your job, He has also provided you with the ability to look for another one. Follow your leader, He is constantly looking back at you encouraging you on.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. What in your past has shaped your thinking about your work today? How do your views line up with what we talked about on Sunday: A. Why we work B. Proper Priorities C. Focused on the today and tomorrow as opposed to our past (our past jobs)

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