Scripture: John 21:18-19
Journal: What do these verses do within you?
What do they stir up? How are you
drawn to them? How are you resistant to
them? What is God saying to you today?
Reflection: Following Jesus is an
acquired taste. It is not something that
comes naturally, but something we learn how to do over time. Thus, the older we get, and the longer we
follow him, the more willing we become to let him do the leading—all of the
leading.
I think that’s what Jesus is
saying here to Simon Peter: “The older you get, the more you will learn what
following me is really all about. It is
not about you, it is about me. It has
little to do with dressing yourself and going where you want and more to
do with stretching out your hands and someone else dressing you and leading
you where you do not want to go. It
has little to do with your actions and your plans and your initiatives, and
more to do with mine. As a matter of
fact, the older you get the more you will realize that following me is really
about one thing—absolute surrender. Your
only job is to stretch out your hands. I
will do the rest. I will do the
dressing. I will do the leading. You just follow me. And the more you do, the more it will become
the deepest desire of your heart. You
will make the shift from your plans at any cost to my plans whatever the cost.
So start today. Try it.
Practice surrender. Simply
stretch out your hands—your empty, open, vulnerable hands. I will take over from there. I will dress you. I will lead you. I will guide you. I will be the one to determine the content
and the direction of your life, not you.
All you have to do is be totally dependent on me. Rely on me for all things, not your own gifts
and abilities. It is a scary posture for
sure, but it is what following me is really all about.”
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: Lord
Jesus, show me what it means today to truly follow you. Give me the grace and the courage to do
so. Amen.
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