The sign alongside the road in England said, "Changed Priorities Ahead."

When I asked the taxi driver what it meant, he said, "It has to do with how you give way to the traffic in the roundabout just ahead. You yield to a different driver than usual."

Long after we negotiated the traffic circle, I continued to ponder the sign. I saw it as a vivid three-word summary of what it means to follow Christ.

When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to be His disciples, "they immediately left their nets and followed Him" (Matthew 4:20). At that moment, it was as if God placed this sign on the road of their lives: Changed Priorities Ahead. He does the same in our lives as we hear Christ calling us to follow Him.

Jesus taught that our natural concern for material needs must be replaced by seeking God's kingdom first and trusting Him to provide (6:33). When He associated with "sinners" and invited a despised tax collector to become one of His disciples, He challenged our prejudices (9:9-13). Jesus also rebuked our jockeying for position when He said, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35).

When we follow Jesus Christ, we discover that changed priorities are necessary to negotiate the road ahead.  — David C. McCasland