Following

Jesus said, “Follow me.” He called those who did, “disciples” which means followers. Consider the impact of focusing on being a “follower.”

Quit following others. To follow Jesus, you have to stop following anyone or anything else. We sometimes refer to this as “repentance” or “turning away from sin.” The bottom line is you can only follow one at a time. It’s about change in direction.

Eyes on Jesus. If you are going to follow Jesus, you better keep an eye on Him or you will soon find yourself  wandering off or following something else.

Move.  Following implies movement. It’s not a one time decision. It’s not checking off a box on a to-do list. Following is constant, continuous, eternal movement.

Not theology. Christians find themselves deeply divided. We divide on what we believe or how we worship or when we gather or even what we wear. Following isn’t custom, or tradition, or study or stimulating discussion. It’s walking. We may come from different starting points and, therefore,  may seem to be on different paths, but our eyes should be on the same Savior and our walk is in the same direction.

Power walking. We don’t walk on our own power. We walk energized by Christ within. We find ourselves walking in places we would never go on our own. We climb mountains, forge streams, and soar skyward far beyond our own capabilities.

Hills and valleys. We walk in dark and scary valleys and on exciting and wonderful summits. Our walk isn’t easier than those who are following something else. We hurt. We stumble. We wander. When we do, He heals. He lifts. He redirects.

We don’t walk alone. He walks with us and he gathers his followers into flocks where they can support each other and through which he can touch more, change more and love more.

Change. As we walk we decrease and He increases. We become more like the one we follow. We are changed by the following, and the focus on Him, but mostly by His presence within.

Maybe we need to do less comparing, contrasting, contemplating, condemning and confusing and a lot more following.