There’s an interesting statement that shows up in the book of Judges. Some form of it appears at least four times in the book (Judges 17:16; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). Every time it appears, it shows up in the context of people behaving badly, of God’s people doing things that would ultimately hurt and injure themselves. Here’s the statement:
In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. —Judges 21:25 NLT
The Message Translation reads, “People did whatever they felt like doing.”
It would be easy to read over this as simply a statement about the historical and political landscape of Israel during the period of the Judges, but 1 Corinthians 10:11 lets us know that the things that happened in the OT “…happened to them as examples for us, written down so we don’t repeat their mistakes” (1 Cor 10:11 MSG).
That causes me to ask myself the question: “Have I repeated their mistakes? Have we? Have you?”
Unfortunately, it occurs to me that sometimes I live the same way this group of people lived, as if I “have no King” as if there is not a sovereign Lord and King who not only deserves, but even demands my loyalty, devotion and allegiance.
Sometimes I do “whatever seems right in my own eyes.” Sometimes I do “whatever I feel like doing.”
Truth is, I don’t think I’m alone. In fact, this seems to be the default setting in human beings, apart from Jesus.
All too often, we live life, make decisions, relate to people, go to our jobs, sleep, eat, walk and talk as if “we have no King.” We do whatever looks right, seems right, feels right or just “might be” right, instead of doing what IS right.
But Jesus is crystal clear on what He demands. These are His words words from Mark 8:34.
JESUS: “ANYONE WHO INTENDS TO COME WITH ME HAS TO LET ME LEAD. YOU’RE NOT IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT; I AM.” —Mark 8:34 MSG
BOOM!
What does it look like when we “let [Jesus] lead?” What does it look like wen we remember that we do have a King! That He’s still on the throne?
What kind of impact should that have on the way we live life, make decisions, relate to people, do our jobs, sleep and eat?
Paul challenges us to “let Jesus lead” in Romans 12:1-2. I love the way The Message renders these two verses. It makes it so practical and down-to-earth. These verses have become a prayer I pray almost daily.
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” —Rom 12:1-2 MSG
Wow! Did you get that? Let’s break it down…
Take your EVERYDAY, ORDINARY LIFE.
Not just the parts you deem “spiritual,” but every aspect of your life.
Your SLEEPING…
What would it look like to live as if Jesus is KING when it comes to the way you rest and sleep? Would it cause you to take the need for sleep more seriously? Maybe it would cause you to see that you’ve gotten a little “lazy” in terms of the amount of time you devote to sleep? The answer will probably be different for each of us.
Your EATING…
What would it look like to live as if Jesus is KING when it comes to the way you eat? Do you LIVE to EAT, or do you EAT to LIVE? There’s a big difference? Is JESUS KING in this area of your life?
Your GOING TO WORK…
What would it look like to live out Colossians 3:23 when it comes to the way you do your job? To “do your best, working from your heart, as though you were working for the Lord”? Our jobs matter to God, regardless of where we work or what we do. Is Jesus King when it comes to your work?
Your WALKING AROUND LIFE…
This is just the day-in, day-out, normal routine and flow of life… It involves areas like our relationships, habits, routines, family, friends, emotional, mental, physical and spiritual health and more… What would it look like if we lived as if JESUS IS KING in every one of these areas of life?
“Don’t become so WELL-ADJUSTED to your CULTURE that you FIT INTO IT without even thinking. Instead, FIX YOUR ATTENTION on God…”
This is what happened to the people described in the book of Judges. Instead of becoming the people God had called them to be and become, they adjusted and adapted to the culture, patterns and practices of the people around them without even thinking about it.
They lost their focus! They took their attention off of God and focused on comfort and convenience instead. Eventually, their lack of focus caused them to end up thinking thoughts they never should have thought, and doing things they never would have imagined themselves doing…
All the while, if they had lived as if God is King, and, to use the words of Paul, “readily recognized what He wanted from them, and then, quickly responded to it, God would have brought out the best in them…”
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: When we live as if Jesus is King, it doesn’t restrict or limit our freedom and potential, it actually expands it!
“In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” —Judges 21:25 NLT
While it’s true that Israel didn’t have a monarchy at the time — they didn’t have a man who sat upon a literal throne — but make no mistake about it, they ALWAYS had a KING!
The same King and sovereign Lord who had miraculously intervened throughout their history, and was ready and willing to lead and get involved in their present, was still on the throne. But for some reason, they ignored the KING they had, excusing their bad behavior, because they didn’t have the “king” they thought they wanted.
The result was pain, loss, lack of conviction and courage, oppression and even more…
According to 1 Corinthians 10:11, “all of this happed to them as an example to us so that we don’t repeat their mistakes…”
Jesus is King! Today we can choose to live like it!
LET HIM LEAD! HE’S IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT, WE’RE NOT!
When we make that decision, according to Paul, “God brings out the best in us, developing well-formed maturity in us.”
So, in the words of Carrie Underwood, “Jesus, Take The Wheel.” Amen.