And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
—2 Kings 4:9–10

If a great man of God, such as Elisha, passed by you in church, would you do what the Shunammite woman did? She recognized that Elisha was a "great" prophet, and she would not let him pass by without insisting and persuading him to stop and eat at her home. She actively inserted herself into the path of the great flow of God's plan and purpose that was at work in Elisha's life. In doing so, she was claiming a destiny of God for her life. She created an atmosphere inviting the presence and purpose of God into her life, and so can you.

I hope that you're not missing the true role that your pastor or spiritual leader should have in your life. The real function of a man of God is to feed the flock of God, to give you a word from the Lord so that you will be nourished and built up with strength and power to fight the enemy of your soul. By God's grace, the Shunammite woman recognized that Elisha had a vision for her life that was worth seeing, a word for her life that was worth hearing, a perception of her purpose in life that was worth pursuing, and a faith in his heart that was worth following.

None of us make it alone. We all follow somebody. We follow those who have gone before. We follow those who are more mature. We follow teachers and mentors and leaders. We follow preachers and pastors. We follow those who lead.

But let me share something important with you about spiritual leaders. They can lead you only as far as they can "see" with their faith. They cannot believe for something in your life that they don't believe for their own lives or take you to places they don't believe you can go.

Are you following a leader who helps you to see more than you can see? Are you following a leader who is helping you to hear more than you've heard about the power and greatness and provision and glory of God? Are you following someone who can help you experience God in a way that's beyond what you've experienced?

Trust God to send you the right leader to help lead you into your destiny. Ultimately, you don't find God's leader for your life. God sends that leader your way. Your role is not to find your leader. Your role is to recognize the leader whom God sends, invite that leader into your life, and choose to follow that leader.

Related Texts: Proverbs 13:20; 17:17; 29:18; Matthew 20:25–28; Romans 12:8; Hebrews 13:7; 1 Peter 5:1–3