Every one of us are following and leading at the same time. Each of us are following someone that we respect and admire, while at the same time we are leading those who are following us because they respect and admire us. Your life, the habits you develop, and the ideas you are forming are all influenced by those you are following and those you are listening to on a regular basis. However, the life you are living, the habits you are practicing, and words you are saying are also influencing the people that are following you. You are accountable to the Lord for who you let influence you and how you influence others. We see the example of this throughout the Bible in the lives of many and even the declaration of God in His Word specifically. This week I read in the book of Numbers 12 where Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, and God confronted both of them for their sin; a greater judgement was brought on Miriam, because she appears to have been the leader of the rebellion. We are called to follow the Lord in our lives supremely, but as God leads in our lives, He often will use the lives of others to lead, guide, or influence our lives to His glory as He leads us ultimately. The problem comes for us humans when we are not truly letting God lead in our lives. We mentioned this last Sunday when we were looking at false prophets and religious lost people in Matthew 7. We are cautioned to beware of their influence on our lives because they will lead us astray and become an ungodly influence in our lives. If we are truly following the Lord in our lives, then we will be doing what He wants us to do, saying what He wants us to say, and being who He wants us to be where He wants to be, all the while bringing Him the glory He deserves. We will also be enjoying His blessings in our lives, because we are in His will. One of many examples of this is God leading the nation of Israel through the wilderness out of Egypt by His presence in the pillar of fire by night and cloud by day. They followed the Lord’s leading by the pillar, and they experienced the Lord’s protection and provision in the presence of the Lord. In our lives, we too need to make sure that we are truly following the Lord so that we can enjoy His presence, protection, and provision; while leading others to follow Him and benefit the same in their lives as well. Every one of us is accountable to the Lord for whom we follow and how we lead those following us.