Be willing to go

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’” Luke 9:57-58 NIV

As part of my job as the Wellness Coordinator at our local health department, I regularly interview inspirational people for a FitFriday segment that’s aired weekly. And I must say that I’ve heard some very inspiring stories during the time I’ve been doing this. But what Pastor Travis Boyt, who has lost over 100 pounds through diet and exercise, said off camera (while filming this weeks’ episode) is something that really inspired me. “In 2019 we were building our dream home when my wife’s cancer spread,” this father of four said. “The contractors rushed to finish it so we could spend what we thought might be her last Christmas there. The house is about as amazing as you could expect. It’s 3200sq ft, 5-bedroom, 2 family rooms, and 3.5 bath, the porch wraps around, and it sits in the middle of some amazing country.” Thankfully, Travis went on to tell me that his wife was now doing well (a miracle) and he and his family were answering God’s call to lead a church in Iola, KS— which meant they were selling their dream home. “My mother doesn’t understand how we could leave but I told her that I’d rather be in God’s will and living in a small house with no utilities than outside of God’s will and living in a mansion.” Do you just love that or what?

And you know, when it comes to worldly luxuries, Jesus clearly told the man who vowed, “I will follow you wherever you go,” that following Him wouldn’t be glamorous, comfortable, or easy. In fact Jesus said that He didn’t even have “a place to lay his head.” This, of course, didn’t mean that Jesus was penniless only that the nature of His mission would keep him on the move and totally reliant on the Father to meet His daily needs, with no excess to fall back on—a reality of being a follower that only those who truly love Jesus will ever embrace.

So if you’ve vowed to follow Jesus wherever He goes, let me ask you this my friend... would you still go if it meant giving up your “worldly luxuries” to do it? I sure hope so because I can assure you of this... being in God’s will wherever that might take you is always better than being outside of His will no matter how comfortable that might make you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we must be willing to give up everything if we want to follow You. Help us to be willing to do more than to simply vow to follow you Jesus. Cause our hearts to be ready and willing at a moments notice to leave everything behind to go where You say go.... knowing that You will take good care of us along the way. It’s in Your precious Name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!

Sparrows - Cory Asbury