Once, when asked how he made decisions about church life and leadership, a well-known Christian leader replied: ‘I look to see what God is already doing and then try to follow that.’
If you’re anything like me, it’s easy sometimes to lose sight of the literal meaning of the word ‘follower’: it automatically implies the leader is ahead, and we are, well, following. For many of us, we might say that we are doing our best to keep up!
There’s been a lot of talk about ‘leadership’ in Christian circles over the last generation, but all good leaders know their authority and fruitfulness rests on the extent to which they themselves follow Someone greater – the Lord. Our leadership is ultimately defined by how closely we follow. We see what God is up to, and throw our energies into that, and pray for grace to stay close to the Lord and not head off on our own.
And this is not just a good strategy for churches or leaders, it’s a great pointer for all of us. We go where God leads us. Sometimes that is very clear, at other times less so. But it’s always a great question to ask ourselves: what is God up to in our lives? In what ways are we growing, or being challenged, or being prompted? What buttons is God pressing at the moment?
In today’s passage, the people of Israel are given one very clear and simple command: follow the Ark. The Ark symbolised God’s presence with them: and where the Ark led, they followed – literally. As the decisive moment comes to cross the Jordan, the Ark leads the way, and the people are called to exercise faith and follow.
Let’s note, too, that this exercising of faith was active. The priests carrying the Ark had to put their foot in the water before it began to dry up. It’s a healthy reminder that faithful following starts with prayer, but usually continues with action. As the people obey, so God works an amazing miracle, and the nation crosses safely into the Promised Land.
Today, as followers of Jesus, let’s pray for grace to see clearly where God is leading us, where he is at work in our lives – and let’s pray for equal grace to be faithful in following, wherever that may be.