Following the Leader

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23) 
 
In the sky over our house, three fighter jets scream through the sky—flying in formation so close together they appear to be one. “Wow,” I say to my husband. “Impressive,” he agrees. We live near an Air Force base and it’s not unusual to see such sights. 
 
Every time these jets fly over, however, I have the same question: How can they fly so close together and not lose control? One obvious reason, I learned, is humility. Trusting that the lead pilot is traveling at precisely the correct speed and trajectory, the wing pilots surrender any desire to switch directions or question their leader’s path. Instead, they get in formation and closely follow. The result? A more powerful team. 
 
It’s no different for followers of Jesus. He says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). 
 
His path was one of self-denial and suffering, which can be hard to follow. But to be His effective disciples, we too are invited to put aside selfish desires and pick up spiritual burdens daily—serving others first instead of ourselves, for example—as we closely follow Him. 
 
It’s quite a sight, this humbling, close walk with God. Following His lead, and staying so close, we can appear with Christ as one. Then others won’t see us, they’ll see Him. There’s a simple word for what that looks like: “Wow!” 
 
Please, God, draw us close to You. Fill us with Your Spirit of love and joy and peace. Enable us to be a shining light in our world. Amen. 
 
When I read this devotion I was reminded, our lives are a window through which others can see Jesus. Just this morning I was also reminded to keep a positive attitude and let my lite shine, then The Lord brought this devotion right to me. I felt it was fitting for today and every day. May we remember to be a shining light in our world. You never know the difference you will make in someone else’s life because of your shining light. Follow The Leader, Christ Jesus. 
 
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord! 
 
Today’s Reading is Matthew 6:3-4