Day 17- John The Responder

After studying the first section of Mark where it talks about John the Baptist I see a reoccurring theme throughout all of the gospels about him. The theme is that he was in a constant attitude of response. No figure in the Bible even Jesus is portrayed the same throughout the whole thing. But in every gospel he is described the same and that he is in a constant state of response. I almost think he should not be called John the Baptist but John the Responder. If you look at his entire life he is living in complete and unquestioning response. Isn't it interesting that John was supposed to be a priest, it was even in his lineage, but chose to do the will of the Father. If he wanted to live a comfortable life where he could do ministry in a city where all the people where there already, and the building had A/C and the best restaurants are there to take people out and witness to them...however he didn't choose that. He chose to respond to God and take a Nazirite vow for life, live in the desert, and preach something radical and new and eat locust and wild honey. Let alone his dress was questionable, and surroundings were not fit for a good ministry. But when we respond to the Holy Spirit we get more than what we can do or expect. We get something more than we planned or prepared for, and we are forced to rely on Him. We can think of it as a scary thing or we can think of it as living outside our means. We are able to think like we can't think, love like we can't love, see things like we can't see them. We take on the very characteristics of God because His Spirit is living inside of us! I want that so bad that I'm willing to give up that fear of the unknown and let Him take over the situation so I can live like I am unable to live and break out of my limited box that I seem to stay in. I want Him to shake up my everyday living and rock my traditions and patterns that I have slipped into. Let me become known as The Responder also!