Pastor Larson’s Corner: Follow the leader

It always amazes me how early candidates start lining up to run for President of the United States. They all want to be our leader, but leading isn’t always an easy task. I learned this truth as a child playing the popular game called “follow the leader.” This was everyone’s favorite game, and we played it a lot. Remember, we didn’t have things like video games and computer devices to keep us busy in the house.

The best part about playing “follow the leader” was being the leader. Being a good leader, however, was not a simple matter. When you were the leader, you had to be careful not to lead where others could not follow. If you did, your turn as leader would soon be over. You also had to know where you were going. This often took hours of careful planning and exploration. Finally, you had to be willing to stop and help some of your followers along the way, or they might get discouraged and simply drop out. More than anything else, a good game of “follow the leader” depended upon having a good leader.

When Jesus called His disciples and asked them to follow Him, they were very fortunate. They choose to follow the best leader who ever lived. The disciples were such great followers because they had a leader who knew how to lead. Jesus knew the way, and He helped His disciples whenever they needed help for the journey.

Today, Jesus calls us to be His followers. Like the original disciples, we can follow Him because He is such a good leader. Jesus cares deeply about His followers, and He will not abandon us when the going gets rough. As we set out on the journey of faith, we know that our leader will show us the way and help us become faithful followers.

Pastor Larson’s Corner is written by Jerry Larson and appears weekly in the Norwegian American Weekly.

Pastor Jerry Larson retired to his cabin in Zimmerman, Minn., after 39 years in parish ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011 he published a book entitled “Speaking the Word Freely: Writing with purpose, preaching with power.” Contact him at jerlarson@visi.com

This article originally appeared in the July 24, 2015, issue of the Norwegian American Weekly. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.