Dependable leadership

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it (Matthew 16:24-25).

Back in the year 1914, Ernest Shackleton set out to cross Antarctica by foot. The planned trip would cover 1,500 miles, using 39 sled dogs to pull the team’s supplies. But Shackleton’s expedition did not go as planned. Their ship, The Endurance, got caught in the ice and was crushed. When summer finally arrived, the ice broke up enough for the men to launch three lifeboats and head for Elephant Island. But the place where they landed was inhospitable and far from established trade routes. Shackleton loaded one of the lifeboats with five of his best men and sailed 800 miles to South Georgia Island for help. Before it was all over, the 39 sled dogs had been eaten by the starving men.

What could induce anyone to sign on for such a dangerous adventure? Shackleton’s crew had come in response to an advertisement posted in the London Times. It read, "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful." In spite of this warning, men came from all over to sign on with the expedition. Shackleton pledged that no man would die on this voyage; he said "Follow as I lead, do what I say must be done, and I’ll get you home." After two years of hardship, every man returned home safe.

It is amazing the risks some people will take. Some participate in extreme sports, savoring the adrenaline rush. Some are willing to brave the depths of the sea’s abyss or the void of outer space for the sake of research. Many sign up for service in the military, risking their lives for national security or the hope for peace.

Yet when it comes to following Jesus, many people hesitate to put their lives on the line. Giving up sinful pleasures seems too hard; turning their lives over to Jesus’ leadership seems too risky. They have a hard time trusting the Lord’s promises.

Shackleton, a mere human, promised his men "Follow as I lead, do what I say must be done, and I’ll get you home." Amazingly, he delivered. How much more, then, can we depend on Jesus, no matter how difficult the trip through life becomes. God’s Son does not promise us an easy journey, but He guarantees our safe arrival at His home in heaven.