Thursday, July 12, 2012

Led, Not Driven

Today I remember to calm down with all my driven tendencies to do more, write more, plan more, build a better platform, etc. etc. etc.

I read twitter, and I feel bad about all the ways I'm not being influential or important.

I start to feel driven again.  

Driven folks feel forced to succeed, produce, and excel. Led people respond to the gentle whisper of God's spirit. They accept specific, simple instructions and go exactly where they're led. Everything comes after that--the planning, writing, doing, and building.

Seek first the kingdom and then. . . 

When I'm driven, I'm fearful, frantic, and frenzied.

When I'm led, I'm full of faith, peaceful, and ordered. 

My prayer today: Lord, let me be led and not driven. Your yolk is easy and light. Mine is hard and heavy. When you lead, you bring me to paths of peace and joy. When I'm driven, I find disorder and unrest. I want to be led by you to accomplish the good works you've planned for me. No more, no less, at just the right time. Led and not driven. Amen.

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Do you find yourself more driven than led?

2 comments:

Joann Olson said...

Good word (as always), Heather!

Here's what my farmer father once told me about the "your yoke is easy" verse. When a team of oxen is being trained to work within the confines of the yoke, the farmer will walk out ahead of them, leading (pulling?) them, teaching them commands, training them. When the team has adjusted to each other and to the yoke, the farmer moves behind the team and behind the plow, and he begins leading from behind, using the reins and his commands (rather than pulling) to do the leading.

In the light of this, Isaiah 30:21 is one of my favorite verses: "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”I want to be so well trained to the Father's voice that I can be mature, fully trained, led from behind.

Roberta Beach said...

Very crisp distinction you make here, Heather - led vs driven. Seek first...thank you.