Obviously having a good leader doesn’t solve everything, but it does make a big difference. I’d actually be willing to bet that when you walk into a workplace or a home, you could make observations and then reasonably guess how effective or ineffective the leader is. …because as the leader goes, so goes everybody else. So if the leader is kind, thoughtful and generous, the people under him/her will often lean toward kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity, too. But on the other hand, if the leader is rude, selfish and unreasonably harsh, then the people under him/her might easily follow in that direction—at least to some extent. 

Leaders carry influence and power, which means it’s extremely important to follow the right person with your one precious life. Somebody or something is leading you. Are you making a conscious decision to follow Jesus every day and let Him lead you? If not, you’re probably drifting… And you can’t drift into the straight and narrow path of godliness. That takes intention and purpose. 

I’m reminded of the book of Judges, when the Israelites struggled to follow God as their king. He put a series of citizen leaders in place to guide them, but the nation was stuck in a recurring cycle of disobeying God, suffering from oppression, repenting and crying out for deliverance, and then experiencing restoration from God. The people were not consistently making the conscious decision to follow God.

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. -Judges 21:25

As you can imagine, just doing “as they saw fit” did not turn into peaceful, fruitful success for the Israelite people. When you’re leaderless, life does not go smoothly. It might feel great for a while, but deep and abiding joy, peace and abundance cannot accompany a person who is not led by Christ. But notice, the Israelites made the choice to do “as they saw fit.” Make no mistake, they knew what they were supposed to be doing! They knew God’s laws and commands, they were just choosing not to follow them. Staying under the leadership of the right person and influence is not just up to the leader! It also involves the person being led deciding to follow the leader’s lead. This is a daily decision to make—maybe even hourly. 

You decide who or what leads you. Have you stopped to think about that recently? Take some time to reflect or journal as you consider these questions that might help to clarify who or what is leading your life right now. 

• How do you make financial decisions? 
• Who or what dictates your emotions? 
• How do you decide how to spend your free time? 
• What determines how you set your daily/weekly schedule? 
• Who or what is the driving force behind your current work/school situation?
• What is the first thing you do when you wake up? …and the last thing you do before you go to sleep? 
• How do you determine which relationships to invest in?
• How often do you pray for discernment with challenging or uncertain family situations? 

Perhaps thinking about these questions highlights some red flags for you. (Hopefully it highlights some green flags, too!) When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22), they literally left behind their nets, boats and family members to let Jesus be their leader. Is there something you need to leave behind? A habit? A person? A mindset? A guilty pleasure that’s leading you into sin? Take action. Waiting until tomorrow will bring zero benefits. 

As disciples of Christ, we are called to follow Him in every area of our lives. When we do, things won’t necessarily be perfect, but His peace and joy will reign in our hearts, minds and spirits. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. -Psalm 23:1-3

Green pastures, quiet waters and a refreshed soul all sound great, right? Notice, our Good Shepherd leads us into those beautiful things. If you’re not following Him, He can’t take you there. If you’re not sure how to start letting Jesus lead you, begin with reading the Bible. The Bible is God’s inspired, holy Word. It tells us how to live, it tells us about who God is, and it tells us about the hope and salvation Jesus offers. Without knowing God’s Word, you won’t be able to hear His voice—which most often comes through the Holy Spirit making an impression on your heart. Get to know God so that when He ‘speaks’ to you, you’ll recognize His voice. 

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. -John 10:3-4

Once you know His voice, only then can you follow Jesus wholeheartedly in a life of sold out surrender to the King of the Ages. Is there a better leader than that? He is all powerful, all knowing and always present everywhere. He is sovereign over everyone and everything. He is perfectly wise, perfectly faithful and perfectly trustworthy. There’s no leader better than Jesus. Make adjustments and changes, and purposefully follow Him in every single area of your life. Don’t be led by the world! Jesus goes ahead of you, and He wants you to follow Him. A life of abundance is waiting!