Finding our God purpose in life by becoming more of a Follower than a Fan

Let’s face reality – we want to be in control. We have spent our entire life trying to take control of our life. This is even true when we enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  When it is a control issue then the power of the Holy Spirit has difficulty working in us and through us.

Boiling it down even further could it not be a Fan vs. a Follower issue? My guess is that over 90% of those who sit in the pews on any particular Sunday are more Fan than Follower. Being a Follower requires something of us… nay, it demands something of us… it means giving up control – completely and totally.

With a Follower it no longer matters what we think, like, wish, desire to happen in the church. The only thing that matters is what God wants and desire. All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give.

Too many churches base their decisions on majority rule wherein God is seldom ever truly considered. Oh, we pray about our decisions, we talk a good talk, but is it real? Probably not. We would really be shocked if God spoke up during one of our meetings and expressed his wishes and hopes for the church. 

To move us closer to becoming a real Follower than just a sideline cheerleading Fan is to unravel God’s purpose for our lives. God’s purpose is far more challenging and life changing than anything that any of us are presently involved. A young physician, Andy, got me thinking about this the other day with a posting on Facebook.

Rick Warren moved many individuals and churches down that path with his Purpose Driven Life (Church) books. We read them, studied them, preached about them, carried them around, and did group studies, put up banners and…  nothing changed. We simply continued to do what we have always done, but we expected different results because of the “work” we had done on the subject. The dust settled and we simply reverted back to the way we have always been.

Finding our purpose is more of a God thing than an I thing. God will reveal our purpose the more we surrender to him. It’s a “can’t walk until we crawl” issue. The closer we become to him, the more we become a Follower and less a Fan, the more God will reveal our purpose.

GOD'S ROSEBUD

A new minister

Was walking with an older,

More seasoned minister

In the garden one day.

Feeling a bit insecure

About what God

Had for him to do,

He was asking the older preacher

For some advice.

The older preacher

Walked up to a rosebush

And handed the young preacher

A rosebud and told him

To open it

Without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher

Looked in disbelief

At the older preacher

And was trying to figure out

What a rosebud

Could possibly have to do

With his wanting to know

The will of God

For his life and ministry.

But because of his great respect

For the older preacher,

He proceeded to try to unfold the rose,

While keeping every petal intact.

It wasn't long

Before he realized

How impossible

This was to do.

Noticing the younger preacher's inability

To unfold the rosebud

Without tearing it,

The older preacher

Began to recite

The following poem...

 "It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine."

"The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so easily,

But in my hands they die."

"If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God's design,

Then how can I have the wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?"

"So I'll trust in God for leading

Each moment of my day.

I will look to God for guidance

In each step of the way."

"The path that lies before me,

Only my Lord knows.

I'll trust God to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose."