Following His Lead

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

It was a hot afternoon. I was driving home to pick up one of my kids for an appointment. As I made my way down the busy street and stopped at a red light, I noticed a man standing on the corner.

I felt a small nudge to stop and offer him something from my car. But I was two lanes over, and traffic was heavy. I argued with myself all the way home about turning around but finally called my husband and asked him to look for the man on his way home from work.

A few hours later, he told me the man was already gone by the time he passed the corner. Disappointed, I asked God to give me another opportunity.

Later that week, I bought water bottles, determined not to pass up another nudging from the Holy Spirit to offer assistance to someone. I explained to my kids, who were watching my actions, that I had missed being obedient to God’s voice earlier but didn’t want to miss it again.

I read them Galatians 6:3, which says, “If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” Ouch. That stung a little bit. But as we put the water bottles and snacks in our vehicle and began driving around town as part of our everyday routine, my kids joined me in noticing people asking for assistance on the side of the road. And each time, we would stop and offer a warm greeting and a cold drink.

I may have missed God’s nudging the first time, but I was determined not to do it again.

All of us will fail from time to time at hearing and being obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. But thankfully, God’s grace is limitless, and his mercy knows no bounds, so we don’t have to feel shame when we realize our error; we can ask forgiveness and move on, course correcting and taking the appropriate action steps.

Jesus said that his followers listen to his voice and follow him—and this includes not just what we say or believe but the actions we take in obedience to his prompting.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Be obedient to a nudge from God. Thank him that he prompts you in this way.