Bishop Wills' Life Journal Posting for November 5th -- It Takes Time to Learn to Follow Jesus



S: Galatians 1: 18
Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.

O: Paul has been blinded and heard the voice of Jesus. He is led to a Christian and 3 days later is able to understand what God has done in his life. But he does not go immediately out to begin preaching the gospel of Christ. Instead, he goes into the desert for 3 years. Only then does he go to Jerusalem and even then does not visit with the Apostles (except James) to tell them he is now a follower of Christ.



A: It is strange how God works in our lives. For some people it seems Christ comes to them in an instant. For others it seems like it takes years. This morning as I read about Paul going into the desert for 3 years before going to preach the gospel, I am aware of my own spiritual journey.

In my life as a follower of Christ, I would spend many years in the church following the teachings of my denomination. I think God knew it would take many years for my own soul to be teachable.

Finally, when I went to South Africa in 1991, God could get my attention. But even then after that powerful experience, I had no words for what God had done and was doing in my life. I could only explain what happened more than a year later and I had no one experience in South Africa which would, like Paul, mark the point of dramatic change in my life. But gradually I could then begin following Jesus through my own beloved denomination.

I think I have not arrived and am in many ways still learning what it means to be a follower of Christ. I see this day an another opportunity to learn how to follow Jesus more completely.

P: Father still my soul that I might follow only your Son through the leading of the Holy Spirit only. There are still parts of me not yet surrendered to you. This morning I give all that I can to you.
Love,

Dick

Y: I yield my self focus to being only a servant of Christ.