The Spiritual Art of BusinessSample

Come, Follow Me

Jesus’ first words to His disciple Peter were “Come, follow Me” (Mark 1:17 NIV). They were also His last: “You must ­­follow Me” (John 21:22 NIV).

Our adventure with God begins with the decision to follow Jesus rather than our own desires. Surrender can be terrifying as we are asked to put everything on the table—our possessions, our careers, our pride, our freedom, indeed our very lives. Our natural instinct is to determine the course and lead the way.

This challenge is compounded for us when we have leadership gifts we are used to exercising at work or in other arenas of our lives. In the matter of ultimate authority for our lives, however, we have to learn to follow. The best leaders are practiced followers.

As we surrender to Him, God transforms us from living a managed life to living a released life. Through our surrender, we give our gracious God permission to do His transforming work in us. He exposes the lies about our identity that we have lived by, replacing them with the truth that we are adopted sons and daughters of the Most High God. He sets us free to live into His design: life by the Spirit.

The process of reshaping, even as we wince under the pressure of the strong thumbs of the Potter, can become a source of great joy. As we live in joy, others will see the authenticity that comes from living a life where we seek, and fail, and seek again to live into the fullness of the life He has promised.

Surrender is a lifelong process that works its way into every moment, every decision, and every action we undertake. For those who wish to practice the spiritual art of business, surrender is the ground of everything.

Are there parts of the idea of surrender that you find scary? What do you worry about being called to give up as you are called to surrender your life to God?