By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Leader or follower?  By which of those terms would you classify yourself?  For some of us, we would fall into each category at different times.  In my photo this week, you see a beautiful mother duck being followed closely by her small brood of offspring.  There is a leader here, and there are followers.

Take a look around you this week.  Make it a very brief look, at risk of making yourself sick.  But look around and see the utter chaos that is abundantly rampant in our society right now.  And don’t make it a political or partisan thing, because it is nothing but good versus evil.

Young folks are looking constantly for something, someone, anyone, anything to follow.  And they latch on to the first seemingly viable thing that comes their way, because to follow requires so much less energy and focus than to be the one who is followed.

I believe the Lord instructs us each to follow Him, certainly.  But the Lord doesn’t want us to simply follow and never lead.  We are called to be leaders in our world.  We are called to stand up, stand out, and speak for and about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It doesn’t take long in your looking around to see that it’s a simple diagnosis.  The world needs Jesus.  And they need Him desperately.  As you head into your new week, glance over your shoulder.  Whom are you leading?  See the faces (and the hearts) of those who follow, and set a course that will lead them to the Lord.

That’s it, isn’t it – the true role for which we all should strive – to be both a follower and a leader.  We have our work cut out for us, don’t we?

Just a thought.