The Art of Following

by Tim Howard

While driving the streets of Boston, Massachusetts a while back, I became disoriented and irritated. I’m sure Boston is not the only city in the world that is challenging to navigate but it ranks among the top ten in my book. It’s not uncommon to be driving down one street and for no apparent reason the name of that street changes to something else and just when you think you’re making progress, you end up lost. On this one occasion I reached a point frustration and stopped to ask for help. When a man stops to ask someone for directions, it’s proof positive that he’s at the breaking point!

To my surprise, the people were very kind and one man actually said he would show me the way. His exact words were “ Follow Me, I will take you there”. I was very grateful, relieved and hopeful even though I didn’t realize another challenge awaited me around the first corner. It was mid-day and the traffic was horrendous. If you have ever had to follow someone through six lanes, busy intersections, congested streets and honking taxi drivers you have discovered it’s not as easy as it sounds. There is an art to following!

Luke 2 records a story I've read many times and quite frankly, find it a bit amusing. It’s the time when Jesus was a twelve-year-old boy and his parents lost him. How do you lose God? That’s the amusing part! Here’s the story: "After the feast was over where they had gone with Jesus, while His parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company they traveled on for a day, then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find Him they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. After three days they found Him in the Temple courts sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." From this historical record, I noted how easy it is to lose track of Jesus when you're not keeping your eyes on Him. Jesus is full of surprises and can change directions without warning just like the kind gentleman who was leading me through the streets of Boston. If you aren’t watching closely, you can end up going north on Route 93 while he’s going east on Route 90.

If you are to learn the art of following you will need two qualities. The first is FOCUS: constantly checking to see where Jesus, this dynamic leader is going, never losing sight of His plan and purposes. The second is FLEXIBILITY: knowing He is the God of surprises; you must be willing to make certain adjustments.

He speeds up sometimes and slows down at other times. He goes on one road for a while then He takes another one. He's not inconsistent, fickle or undecided but He is traveling a sure and certain route because He knows the road and you don't.

Jesus' baseline invitation and command to us is: Follow Me! Luke 9:23, "If anyone would come after Me let him take up his cross daily and follow Me."

Believe it or not, God has already been in your future. Psalms 139 makes it clear that He “goes before us.” He charts a path for us and knows where we should stop, when we need to rest and the best route for the journey. All you need to do is learn the art of following.

Spiritual Alignment

Pastor Tim Howard
December 26, 2009

If you have ever suffered from back problems you surely know what it means to be ‘bent out of shape.’ When this happens to a person, their walk is altered and the way they stand is more crooked than a lifetime criminal. People who’ve experienced what I’m describing are very thankful they know a good Chiropractor. A visit to his / her office may be a bit painful and you may hear a few cracks in your skeletal system during the visit but more often than not you leave feeling better. Why did you need to visit the Doctor? Most of the time it’s because you were out of Alignment.

Chiropractors are not the only ones who realize the importance of maintaining proper alignment if we are to experience a joy filled existence. Mechanics will tell you that tires need to be aligned and if you ever try to open a safe that uses a combination lock, you’ll discover you need the right numbers to be in the right order. If they aren’t aligned it will not open. Alignment means to put things into correct or appropriate order so they can function at their maximum potential. Every once in a while we all need to check our alignment. By doing so we insure we will reach our God designed goals.

The Bible says God has a goal for each and every one of us, each and every day of each and every year. He has created us for good reasons and for a wonderful purpose. We are also told in the Word of God that this goal will only be reached if we order our priorities around His vast knowledge, character and understanding. If we align ourselves with Him by putting Him first in all things, life can function at the maximum.

It may help if I share five signs, which indicate you are in proper alignment with God by using the acrostic F.I.R.S.T.

F. Your FINANCIAL decisions will include a willingness to contribute to some charity work so peace and goodwill can reach out to mankind. You will not spend all you earn on today but invest in people for a bright tomorrow.

I. Your INTEREST will begin to change. When you spend time with the Lord, He gives your heart new desires. You’ll acquire a taste for the things of God and what’s important to Him.

R. Your RELATIONSHIPS with others will be strengthened and restored if broken. You may have to leave some relationships behind but are willing to do so in order to pursue healthy ones.

S. Your SCHEDULE will make time for Jesus. You will invest time in studying God’s Word, visiting with other Christians and helping those in need.

T. Your THOUGHT and TALK will be changing. People will notice you have a new way of thinking because they see you have a new way of acting. You will start talking about the positive stuff rather than the negative stuff.

As 2009 comes to a close it would be wise for all of us to stop, reflect, inspect our lives and see if we are aligned properly. There are some great things ahead in 2010 and God doesn’t want you to miss out on anything. I encourage you to visit one of the many Church families in Kings County this weekend. They would love to see you and will help you get an alignment if needed. Happy New Year!