Where You Do Not Want to Go
Saying that Jesus is Lord, implies surrendering to His will over ours. No matter how you frame it, surrender is frightening. When we surrender, we are vulnerable. When we surrender someone else determines our path and can take us where we do not want to go. Jesus gives us no guarantee that, if we surrender our lives to Him, we’ll only be led to pleasant places. In fact, He promises us just the opposite, following Him will lead to trouble and hardship. The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who were led into places of pain and difficulty – places they did not want to go. Yet, Jesus also promises that following Him is the way of abundant life. How can life be abundant if we are led where we do not want to go?
Discussion Questions
Have you ever been forced to go somewhere you did not want to go? What was that like? How did you deal with it?
Read John 21:15-18. How would you describe the flow of Jesus’ conversation with Peter? Did it end as you expected? How does Jesus’ call to “feed my sheep” relate to Peter being told that he will be led where he does not want to go?
Read Luke 9:23. What does this look like in your life? What would it mean to pick up your cross and follow Jesus?
If God were to lead you where you do not want to go, where would that be right now?
Has God ever led you to a place you did not want to go? What did you find there?
Read 1 Peter 4:19. Peter’s instruction is simple. How can his wisdom help us when we find ourselves going places we do not want to go?
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