Don’t Lead – Follow!

Dec 4 – John 8:12 

 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Here’s another one of those “I am” statements from Jesus.  He makes a bunch of them, all of them pointing toward His identity as God since “I AM” is the name God gives Himself in the Old Testament (see Exodus 3:13-14).  They tell us a lot and very little at the same time.

Something stood out to me in this verse that I hadn’t noticed/thought about before.  Imagine yourself walking along a dark path with Jesus.  We’re talking DARK here, so much so that you can barely see to take your next step.  Where would you want your light to come from?  If it came from behind you, you would block your own line of sight.  YOU would get in the way of the light you so desperately need to see.  But, if it came from in front of you, you could easily see to walk.  Light radiates out.  And since Jesus Himself IS the light, He won’t block the light at all like He would if He were one of us carrying a flashlight.  Jesus doesn’t say that whoever walks with Him will not walk in darkness.  He doesn’t say that those who walk in front of Him will not walk in darkness.  He says the ones who will be able to see are those who follow Him.

Following is a difficult thing for a lot of people.  We want to be in control.  We want to make decisions.  We want to do things our way and follow our own path.  But Jesus wants us to follow Him, to give up that control we crave so much and instead, trust Him to lead us.

Where is Jesus walking in your life?  Is He in front helping you to see or is He behind you so that you get in the way of His light?  If you want to be able to see in the dark, let Him lead you just like He has always wanted to do.