Follow the Master?

While in Africa, I sat on a panel in the Waterbrook Church in Nairobi, Kenya. During the question and answer time someone in the audience asked all of the panelists the same question: What is your purpose? Truthfully, I don’t remember what I told her, although I think I read Philippians 2: 1-5. But in the back of my mind I heard the words “tell her your purpose is to follow the Master”. And there the thought sat, unspoken.

Later I reflected on that answer. Is that my purpose, my whole purpose as a follower of Christ? As I prayed over these words images came to mind. The first, of course, was Jesus walking ahead of me along the beach. I followed Him, trying to step where He stepped. His pace, His path, and His direction showed me the way forward. This seemed to me to be a good metaphor for surrender, submission, and obedience.

But then another image came to mind. I was walking alongside Jesus arm-in-arm. We were friends. The passage in John 15 came to mind: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants…instead I have called you friends” (John 15: 13-15). Between true friends there is a mutual love and respect, a desire to put your friend’s needs ahead of your own. There is also an intimacy that you don’t share with many others. You have a special bond. This intimacy cannot grow if your are always following the other person; if you always see yourself as a servant.

And then a third image came to mind. I was walking ahead of Jesus. It was as if He had sent me out and said “you go ahead. I will stay behind and rest”. I was reminded of Jesus telling the disciples to go out in Matthew 10 and Luke 9. “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick…so they set out and went from village to village” (Luke 9: 1-6). They went ahead of Jesus, with His blessing and instruction. Sort of like ambassadors.

Whether we are following, walking alongside of, or out ahead of Jesus we are always aware of His Presence. We are never really alone. But it seemed to me if I saw myself as only a follower of Jesus, in the sense that I mean here, the scope of the life He intended me to live would be too limited. Perhaps, this progression from follower to friend to ambassador is the trajectory of my life with Him. Maybe. But everyday my journey with Him changes. One minute I am following, the next He has pushed me out in front and said “pray with that person standing next to you at the gas pump.” And sometimes I find myself just relaxing, abiding in His presence thinking “what a friend I have in Jesus.” The landscape of my relationship with Him is constantly changing. But, one thing is constant. I know no matter what, my Lord, my savior, my friend values and loves me more than I will ever be able to understand, at least in this world.

I guess my purpose is to receive that value and love and walk, in whatever posture He wants in that moment, as well as I can knowing that any misstep I make will be swallowed up in His grace.