Matthew 10:38, “And he who does not take his cross and
follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
This past year has been an absolute odyssey of learning to
actually follow Christ. Key word being “Follow.”
Like most I want the blessings of God. Like the devout I
pray constantly. Like the charismatic I even hear God’s whispers in my mind
from time to time with instruction, encouragement, and the occasional
admonishing as well. But I have always tried to get out in front of Him.
If thought for a moment that God wanted me to go to a place,
I have always taken that to mean get there however you can. Or worse took it to
mean, He will get me there regardless of the steps. But to God it is the
individual steps that are more important than the destination. When we follow
God, we step where he steps, and we stand where he stands. And it is this
lesson, that is intentionally contrary to name it claim it, prosperity message
and teaching. This lesson is intentionally contrary to any idea of earning, or
even convincing God to give us His blessing that man as promoted through religious
doctrine. His blessing is in the footstep. His blessing is in the following,
not the destination.
Oh the destinations can be glorious, but the real lesson,
the real blessing is in learning to follow.
A year ago God told me that for me 2014 would be entrepreneurial.
It was an idea I rejected having been there before. A month later He told me to
approach a friend, later to approach a stranger, and as I saw His path forming,
I ran ahead, and by the grace of God ran into one stonewall after another. Each
time returning to Him looking for direction, and each time running ahead once I
had it. But over the course of a year He taught me to get behind Him. How
precious the lesson. The destination we have paused is peaceful, hilarious,
with new faces, a new career, new energy, new love, new abilities, a NEW LIFE.
I am blessed! And I am blessed because I am standing in His
steps.
