On a cold snowy night a father left his home to visit a near-by bar. Half way to the bar he heard a voice behind him. He turned in the deepening, blinding snow to see his five year old son trudging about 20 yards behind him. The father called out, “Son, what in the world are you doing our here?” To which the son replied, “Dad, I’m walking in your footsteps.” Stunned by his son’s response and immediately realizing the full impact of his son’s words, the Father said, “If you are walking in my footsteps, then I must change direction.”
Is there someone walking in your footsteps? If so, is it ok for you to continue on your path or is a change in direction necessary? It is said that every life deeply influences or impacts at least 11 other people. That may seem like a small number of people to impact, influence, impress or lead but in reality the influence that we have on 11 people is significant enough for us to make certain that we are going in the right direction. The same would be true if there was only one person following us. For those who choose to follow us it could mean the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, even life or death.
The Apostle Paul was so transformed by the Spirit of God that he could say with, confidence, conviction and certainty, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” (1 Cor.11:1 ESV). We are to be so joined to Jesus that we can say with the same conviction, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.”
When Jesus called men to follow him, their choice to do so put them on the path to righteousness, godliness, love, truth, faith, salvation and eternal life. Those who chose not to follow Jesus, put themselves on a path of unrighteousness, ungodliness, hate, lies, unbelief, destruction and eternal separation from God.
There are many things in this world of which we cannot have confidence, but we can stake our lives on this one thing – Jesus will never lead us down the wrong road. If we are following Jesus, and influence others to follow him, neither one of us will go down the wrong road. Are you going in the right direction or do you need to change course?
In His Love, Charles
