The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. (Mark 1.12)

When we think of being driven we conjure up mental images of fierce determination. We imagine an inner propulsion that pushes us to success, and an urgency that compels us through difficult times. There is a sense like irresistibility to that drive. This does not mean that people cannot reject the drive. People can choose to embrace or reject the internal drive but the drive is still influencing their actions. A godly call to leadership can be twisted into cruel dictatorship. A moral responsibility to rescue others from a similar tragedy can be manipulated into a devaluation of human life. The energy that could drive the calling could push the person in the opposite direction.

Jesus had this option just as much as every man, woman and child. Jesus was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. Jesus the driven was lead forcefully in His spirit (truly by His Spirit) into a desolate place to determine how He would walk among us. The temptations He endured in the desert were potential channels He could have driven His ministry, sinful self-centered channels, but channels all the same.

Jesus the driven stands before us and calls us to glorify Him through our God-given drive. As we pursue our Lord through our drive, our God-calling, we must recognize that the Holy Spirit will bring us through a season where we will be tempted to re-direct our drive, to fulfill our passion in ways that cease to honor God. As followers of Jesus are we open to the Holy Spirit driving us?

Jesus, place a drive within my heart. Please, give me Your Holy Spirit to keep me from manipulating my calling, attempting to divert your glory to myself.