Ordinary Time

Pause

What makes a leader worthy to follow? Relevance? Intelligence? Vision?

All of that misses the point.

Instead:

Why don't we follow “people with an ardent desire

to dwell in God's presence,
to listen to God's voice,
to look at God's beauty,
to touch God's incarnate Word
and to taste fully God's infinite goodness?”

quotation from Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus (1989)

Listen

The Lord proclaims concerning the prophets, those who lead my people astray, those who chew with their teeth and then proclaim “Peace!” but stir up war against the one who puts nothing in their mouths: Therefore, it will become night for you, without vision, only darkness without divination! The sun will set on the prophets; the day will be dark upon them. Those seeing visions will be ashamed, and the diviners disgraced; they will all cover their upper lips, for there will be no answer from God.

Micah 3:5-7

Think

We all have the opportunity to lead and to follow, at church, at school, on campus, within our social circles. Whether we are leading or following in a formal or an informal role, we have a responsibility to do our best.

It is easy to follow leaders whom we like or those whom we want to like us. It is equally easy to want to be a popular leader. As long as we are doing the correct thing, there is nothing wrong with that. But unfortunately it can also be easy to lead a group into doing the wrong thing and even easier to follow the leader into doing wrong.

What do we do when our group of friends makes fun of someone? What do we do when a leader wants us to steal or gossip or lie? Do we have courage to stand for the things of God? Our lives and the world around us will be better if we follow our leaders as they travel the path of righteousness.

Deborah Guy

Pray

Lord, help me to see which leaders are following the path of righteousness. Let me never misuse your gift of leadership to hurt anyone. Amen.

Go

May I see the opportunities to lead and have the humility to follow the leaders who are following the Lord's path.