You have seen this person do beautiful things in your life. It became almost an obsession to be seen by this person side as he traveled throughout the land. We all have a sense of pride and dedication to this person. Living in America we build our daily lives on becoming safe and obtaining self-efficacy, success, health, and spirituality. Our leaders in this environment encourage us to join their team to attain all of the desires of life. It becomes beneficial for the leaders to encourage potential followers to join them with the benefits in store with our support of this movement. Most assuredly we all have encountered the opportunity to follow a leader that would subscribe to making our lives easier.
On the other hand, what if your leader would express to. you that if you join their movement you will experience great suffering. Your focus is only on the final outcome and not so much on the suffering of the journey. I am sure you have made choices that suffering was part of the road to success. Not knowing your past but I would suspect many of you have experienced physical therapy, cross-training, diets that deprive you of those things you love, work projects, psychotherapy, plus many more. When we begin the suffering decisions we look for the actions that would reduce the suffering and look to all the different techniques that would reduce the suffering. Listening to media, reading, and referrals by friends engages our interest in how to obtain results the best way. Suffering for gain has been part of our lives.
Leadership has entered into your life making you a leader and those you follow as leaders. When a leader presents themselves to you what is their invitation to you and how did they get your attention? If you choose to follow the leader the question is why would you make the decision to represent their call of duty? What do the leaders you choose to follow offer you? Have you been approached by a leader who demands complete devotion and first love to them over all others? What if their response back to you is that by becoming part of this movement you will be experiencing greater suffering by revealing your love, commitment, and dedication?
Scaling your love may have its value in life. Are there limits to your obedience? Would you sign a blank check for a loved leader or just use a gift card?
If your devotion and following someone was a blank check or a gift card what does it mean for you? If you were to give a leader you know of a blank check in life who would it be?
Read Acts 14: 25-35
How would you interpret this scripture?
Pride and Prejudice in America 