My Hope is Built

I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

-Psalm 16:8

I was talking to a family member today about being a believer in Christ. I was saying how I don't understand how power amongst the Christian community becomes such a big problem; how we can let Satan use us to pervert His work and His love through the gifts, such as leadership, that Christ has given us. I was explaining how all believers should be considered leaders because Christ gives all of us gifts to use for Him and His Kingdom. However, my family member interjected and said, "But, the point is that you're all followers." 

I stopped right there. We are all followers of Christ. In order to truly let Him lead us, we need to deny ourselves, give everything we have on Earth to the poor, pick up our crosses, and truly follow Him. Sometimes we get lost in preparing for Christ, and we forget that we should be as Mary, and always be at His feet. We all must run after the Lover of our souls, but to remember that we are running after Him, meaning that He is before all of us. 

Most of the time, a leader of Christ doesn't even acknowledge that they are a leader for Him. They just continually love Him, with their whole hearts each and everyday. We acknowledge that Christ made us to be His people, we acknowledge that Christ gave us incredible spiritual gifts in order to love Him more, but how many times do we acknowledge that in order to be a leader in Christ, we must be a follower of Christ? 

We may say that He comes before me, but then why do we have problems with power? Why do we have problems with pain? Why do we have problems with judgement? Why do we have problems with honesty? Why do we have problems with anger? Our eyes must be set upward, in His direction. Otherwise, we remain focused on what's behind us: the sin, the doubt, the shortcomings; and we get lost in them. 

To follow means that we have to keep Him in focus, and if He isn't in front of us, what are we focusing on? 

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

-Psalm 61:2