Beat of a Different Drummer

I thought that line about following the beat of a different drummer would be a good class motto for the Dardanelle High School Class of '82. It's not our motto. I'd have to look in the yearbook to find out what the motto is.

I think about that because I'm sitting in the teachers' workroom at school. The band room is next door. They are practicing and I can hear (and feel) the beat of the drum.

Have you ever felt the drums as the marching band goes by in a parade? That's what I remember most about the Christmas parades when I was a kid. That and Santa Claus making his appearance on top of the firetruck.

Even when you can't see the drummer you can hear the drum. Sometimes you can feel it.

Every day I'm reminded of how the culture I live in does not line up with my worldview. I try to see everything through the lens of God's Word and I try to live my life by the principles taught there. It's not an easy task but when I am able to do it I notice a clear difference.

Something needs to guide me along the path of godly living as the path winds through the world I live in because I'll stray without that help. I need a cadence to keep me in step. I need the reminder of a sound from somewhere else.

God gives the guidance. His Spirit whispers to my spirit about what I should do and decisions I should make. I'm never left alone. He is always with me. That's the promise of Scripture.

Along with the Holy Spirit, I have friends who are also believers who help me. The Proverbs tell us that one man sharpens another like iron on iron. We (believers) need each other. The Christian life is not meant to be lived in solitude but in community.

So I look forward to gathering with my church family. I cherish times of fellowship and Bible study with Christian friends. Don't you?

The nudging by the Holy Spirit and the reminders from believing friends are that drumbeat that helps me keep in line and in step. I believe God sends believers into the world to make a difference through relationships with all people. Lots of voices bombard you each day with attractive offers that will pull you away from the Lord. But there is a drummer tapping a cadence. Can you hear Him?