As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”- Luke 9:57-58
In commenting on this passage at the beginning of Chapter 12 (Wherever. What About There?”) of Not a Fan, author Kyle Idleman believes that Jesus’ answer to His would-be follower was a deal-breaker. Essentially, Jesus is pointing to a place that will be a threat to the man’s comfort and security. In effect, Jesus is saying, “What about there?”
Jesus’ question seems particularly relevant in the aftermath of our ministry downsizing or vocation loss. Are we truly willing to follow Jesus to another part of the country- or world? Are we open to a ministry or vocation radically different from what we had imagined ourselves doing?
Pastor Idleman notes that we won’t follow Jesus wherever if we take that more as a suggestion than a command. Larry Osborne comments on what happens when Jesus is treated as a personal consultant rather than as Sovereign Lord:
“Now a consultant is someone whose wisdom we highly value and listen to, but at the end of the day, we make the final decision. That’s why they’re called consultants. Here’s the problem: God doesn’t do consulting. Never has. Never will. He does God. When we treat him as a consultant, he simply stops showing up for meetings.”
Today’s question: In what direction do you believe God is leading you following your vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A treasure map to freedom”
