We like control. For most, this simply means that we like having direct oversight of our bank accounts, deciding what to eat for lunch, what clothes to wear, even selecting which book to read or what to listen to on the radio. Bottom line: we crave choice and freedom. If any of the previously listed things are removed from our lives, it ranges from a minor annoyance to a serious problem.
When our choices are limited, our freedom removed, it can be a real problem. This is experienced on a daily basis by people with limited income, people who are ill, and people as they age. Loss of freedom is also experienced by people who are imprisoned. God wants us to be free and even allows freedom of choice when our choices do not align with God’s.
To follow God is to relinquish some of our freedom. We do not become imprisoned or pinned down by following God, though. When we choose to follow God’s lead in our lives, we become vulnerable in some ways because we are no longer our own, but God’s. There are many examples in scripture that speak of this. Why does it seem that God requires some vulnerability in us? What does this look like for your congregation?
Personal Reflection:
Sometimes we want something so we can be like others. This can be true for individuals, churches, communities, or nations. Sometimes it can get us into trouble. Think of times in history where this has happened. What about you?
This week, consider ways and times you look to God’s leading.