Learning to Follow

When I was skipping down the road with Jesus, there was no agenda. There wasn’t anywhere we needed to be – or at least I wasn’t worried about it. Wherever Jesus went, I went. Whatever He did, I did with Him. It was that simple. I had practically no responsibility except to follow.

So many people think that freedom is in leading everyone else – that freedom is making the decisions to go where you want to go and do what you want to do. But have you ever tried leading people? Have you ever faced the stress of knowing your decisions hold very real consequences for not only you, but other people as well? Or have you been one who thought freedom didn’t involve other people? Have you been trying to go your own way?

I don’t know what you’ve found down those roads, but I’ve been down both of them, and I can tell you honestly and truly – that’s not freedom! Western society has taught us for so long that freedom is in our independence. Just look at the U.S. Constitution or the Declaration of Independence.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty [Freedom] to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (The United States Constitution)

It could be said this way… “We the people, in order to secure freedom for ourselves (as opposed to receiving it from God), do declare our independence to set whatever laws we feel are right and just, as outlined in the rest of this constitution.” I’m not being unpatriotic here. This is what our country was founded on, and I love and am thankful to live in such a great nation.

And this pattern of declaring independence is nothing new to the United States, either. Since the beginning of time (yes, even with Adam and Eve), humanity has set a course for independence, and it always seems to get us in trouble, doesn’t it? Adam and Eve were given restrictions for their benefit, and when they broke those rules, they became slaves to sin and death. Even our own nation does not have freedom without ensuring laws and boundaries that would limit that freedom from those who act contrary to the popular ideals of our culture.

And so we’ve been taught that freedom is found in calling the shots – in making the rules – in leading the pack. But we are wrong.

Freedom – true freedom – is found in following. True freedom is found in our absolute dependence on the one who leads us – the one who calls us, saying “follow me.”

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