946 Leading Requires Individual Initiative - John 21:22

What's your life vision?   "Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!'" John 21:22 NASB   I had a friend mention that question the other day. What is your personal vision. I know ministries that have visions, businesses that do. Even a ministry called Family ID challenges families to develop a vision. But what is your personal vision?   When I was a kid, I bought into the American Dream. I wanted to have enough money to have choices. The more money I had, the more choices I had. A vision means I have to decide. I have to chase some things at the exclusion of others. To decide means to cut away. When we decide, it's like homicide; we kill all the other options.   I wanted to keep my options open, but I kept making poor choices that didn't result in me being happy or satisfied. Eventually, I turned to Jesus and trust him. And my vision became a bit more clear. Some options were off the table. But until I started thinking about my personal vision, I still wasn't clear enough.   Our second guiding principle in Follower of One is Individual Initiative and Leadership. We believe our relationship with Jesus is very personal. No two are identical. In the story behind our passage, the resurrected Jesus has appeared to some of the disciples on a lakeside. He challenges Peter to follow him, but not John. Peter asks why John isn't following and Jesus gives this answer. Basically, we don't need to worry about others. We don't need to compare. We need to simply focus on Jesus and trust him.   How your faith shows up in the world is between you and Jesus. It should line up with scripture. You should be able to find other Godly people who will help you discern what God wants, but in the end, it's like salvation. It can't be done for you. You have to make the choices and take the actions yourself.   We value individual initiative at Follower of One. It's our 2nd Guiding Principle. Stay tuned over the next few days to hear the other 4. You can also read about these by searching for "values" at www.FollowerOfOne.org. Why not let your relationship with Jesus transform the way you live. Check out our community and join us.