My husband’s family once took a trip to Springfield to visit his grandpa in the hospital. We took two vehicles, and my husband and I rode in the second one. On the way back, we made a turn to keep behind our leader, but less than a mile later, our leader turned into a driveway — and we realized we were following the wrong car!

We had a good laugh at our mistake, but we probably wouldn’t have felt like laughing if that car hadn’t turned so quickly and we had gone the wrong way for several miles before realizing our error.

It’s crucial to know who’s leading you. If we’re not careful, we can think we’re following God when really, we’re following our own desires. Time and again in the New Testament, Jesus makes it clear that to follow Him, we must decide not to go our own way. Every day, we must make this decision.

So whom are you following? Can you remember the last time you decided not to follow self? Can you remember using your will to choose to follow Christ? If not, then I suggest you stop right now and take a good long look at who’s leading you. Otherwise, you may get to the end of your journey and find that wrong turns have taken you where you never intended to go.

“Then [Jesus] said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23