Look at them!

Look at the soldiers! When they receive directives from their commander, they follow the directives without questioning or negotiating. They know that a wrong directive can cost them their lives, yet they follow it anyway, trusting that their commander is in a more qualified position to lead them. They follow the directives wholeheartedly and carefully, knowing that if anyone of them fails to follow, the rest of the team will be endangered and the battle might be lost. Each soldier has made a personal decision to trust and obey the commander, thus enabling the team to work as a unit under the leadership of the commander.

Look at the footballers! When they receive instructions from their manager, they follow the instructions without questioning or negotiating. They know that a wrong instruction can affect their performance and hence, their footballing prospect, yet they follow it anyway, trusting that their manager is in a more qualified position to lead them. They follow the instructions wholeheartedly and carefully, knowing that if anyone of them fails to follow, the rest of the team will be affected and the match might be lost. Each player has made a personal decision to trust and obey the manager, thus enabling the team to work as a unit under the leadership of the manager.

Look at the Christians! When they receive guidance from their shepherd, they never follow the guidance without questioning or negotiating. They know that a wrong guidance can affect them...in some way, thus they are selective in the guidance that is offered by the shepherd, trusting that they themselves are in a more qualified position to guide themselves. They follow the guidance halfheartedly and carelessly, even though they know that if anyone of them fails to follow, the rest of the Body of Christ will suffer and the battle might be lost. Each Christian has made a personal decision to trust and obey himself/herself, thus disabling the Body of Christ to work as a unit under the leadership of the shepherd.

Trust. Submission. Obedience. Unity. What do Christians know?