Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Mark 8:34-37 – The Message)
To follow Jesus is to allow Jesus leads and to allow Him to be in the driver’ seat. I thought I know what it means to allow Jesus to lead. I read the Bible, attempting to understand Jesus’ heart, so I can act according to His will. I pray, attempting to seek for God’s direction in decision making. I tend to give up my desires, thinking this is what self-sacrifice means. After all the years in following Jesus, I become more confused in the “hows”. I thought I know the way to follow Jesus. I though I know what I should do. But actually I don’t. I think this and that is equivalent to following Jesus. Following Jesus is not an equation. It is an adventure. You make the decision to start the journey, then Jesus will show you the way to the next destination. You don’t know where you will be going. You don’t know how to get to the destination. You don’t know how long will you be staying at each stop. I believe what we need to do is to ask God for His grace so we can be our true self, the self that God has created, while following His guidance in the journey.
