#2 To Love like Jesus, give people the freedom to walk a different path.
In the Gospels, Jesus encountered many people. He treated them individually. To some, he said, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19) and they became disciples and Apostles spending their days learning from Him.
To others, he said Go home and tell others what you have experienced (Mark 5:19). To a few, he said don’t tell anyone what you experienced (Matthew 8:4).
Obedience called them to walk many different paths in very different ways. Outwardly there were few similarities in their lives each having a very different path of obedience to follow. Jesus was the only common denominator. Some were to walk with a group, the disciples. A lot of support. Others had to walk a very lonely path. The “go home and tell” man was obedient but all alone walking a very different path. Which required the most faith?
I am afraid that I, at times, missed out on that in the Bible. I felt that everyone who followed Jesus needed to walk my path, that of the institutional church. If you were a follower of Jesus you should get involved in Church activities. The deeper involved the more “christian” you were. If you didn’t do that you were not really following Jesus.
Today I am coming to understand that was wrong. (Yep, I was wrong a few times in my life. Probably more than I realize or will admit.) Jesus still calls people to walk paths very different from mine. Increasingly I am discovering people who are very committed to Jesus who are walking very different paths. Some paths are very peripheral to the institutional church if they have any contact with it at all. Some are far more Christian than I am. I met a man a short time ago. He has chosen to be a Christian in other countries. He has lived in Asia, Africa and Europe. He spent 15 years in a former USSR country. He prays. Senses the Lord’s leadership gets a plane ticket and when he arrives he starts trying to live a life of love, trusting the Lord to open doors and the Holy Spirit to use his life. He is not with a mission organization. He has no support group. No group to fall back on. He is an amazing person. He walks a different path. I am not sure I could walk that path.
If I am to love like Jesus, I need to recognize that Jesus calls people to walk very different paths of obedience to him. I need to love those people by giving them the freedom to walk those paths and authenticate that kind of walk rather than trying to force them back to my path.
Hats off to those brave enough to follow Jesus on different paths. If that is you don’t be afraid. Look forward to the discoveries Jesus has for you. Look for people on the same path as you so you can walk together.
I am seeing more and more of those kinds of christians. Those walking with Christ in different ways. Maybe that is the next wave of Christianity.
In case you haven’t noticed, the picture that goes with this blog is an old man who is turning off the main path to walk a road less traveled. Could that be autobiographical?