Follow My Lead: Listen & Grow
As we continue to encounter Jesus, we're going to hear a word that many people find uncomfortable. Sin.
For some, the word immediately brings feelings of guilt, shame, judgment, or condemnation.
But before we go any further, let's remember what we've already learned.
God desires a relationship.
From the beginning of Scripture to the very end, His heart has remained the same.
He wants His children.
He wants to be known.
He wants to walk with us.
He wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as ourselves.
Relationship has always been the goal.
So when we talk about sin, we must view it through the lens of relationship.
Sin is anything that separates us from God, harms our relationship with Him, or damages our relationship with others.
It creates distance.
It causes confusion.
It breaks trust.
It wounds hearts.
And ultimately, it keeps us from experiencing the life God intended for us.
This is why God gave His people boundaries.
The Ten Commandments were never meant to be a list of arbitrary rules.
They were given to protect relationships.
Some help us love God.
Others help us love people.
Together, they create a framework for human flourishing.
Think about it.
Don't lie.
Don't steal.
Don't murder.
Don't commit adultery.
Honor your parents.
Don't covet.
Every command protects a relationship.
Every command creates safety.
Every command helps bring a little more heaven to earth.
The challenge is that most of us don't naturally enjoy being told what to do.
In a world that celebrates independence and self-reliance, listening to authority can feel uncomfortable.
Many people struggle to listen to parents, teachers, coaches, employers, or leaders standing directly in front of them.
Listening to a spiritual leader we cannot physically see can feel even more difficult.
But following Jesus has never been about losing our freedom.
It has always been about becoming who we were created to be.
The more we follow His lead, the more we begin to uncover our natural tendencies.
Pride.
Selfishness.
Fear.
Anger.
Bitterness.
Judgment.
Control.
These things exist in all of us.
Not because we're hopeless.
Because we're human.
The Shepherd gently reveals them so they can be healed.
He points them out not to shame us but to transform us.
He isn't trying to make us feel bad.
He's helping us become better.
He's teaching us how to love God.
How to love people.
How to live in a way that brings heaven a little closer to earth.
But before any transformation can happen, another decision must be made.
A simple but important question.
Am I willing to listen?
Not just hear.
Listen.
Am I willing to consider that the Shepherd may know something I don't?
Am I willing to trust that His ways are better than mine?
Am I willing to allow Him to lovingly point out areas where I need to grow?
We'll talk more about that tomorrow.
But today, pause for a moment.
And decide.
Because growth begins the moment we become willing to listen.
Make It Personal
When you hear the word sin, what emotions come to mind?
Do you view God's commands as restrictions or as protections?
What area of your life might Jesus be inviting you to examine more honestly?
Are you willing to listen if the Shepherd reveals something that needs to change?
Dig Deeper
Matthew 22:37-40 — Love God. Love others.
Exodus 20:1-17 — The Ten Commandments.
John 10:27 — My sheep listen to my voice.
James 1:22 — Do not merely listen to the word.
Psalm 139:23-24 — Search me, God, and know my heart.
The Shepherd is speaking.
The question is not whether He has something to say.
The question is whether we are ready to listen.