I remember back to my childhood days on the school playground and one particular day another student came up to me and said follow me, follow me!! It was my gut instinct to follow him because of his sheer excitement. So I followed him to the corner of the playground where he proceeded to show me a dead squirrel.
As I look at Jesus call to follow him and the schoolyard incident, there’s significant contrasts. I followed that student because he was excited to show me something. Little did I realize it would be a dead animal. Then I listen to Jesus call to follow him and I’m assured there’s something far beyond myself to see. As a matter of fact when we surrender to that call to follow, there’s massive change in our lives.. I no longer follow the crowds but I follow the one who knew me before I was even born. Those first disciples left all they ever knew to follow this man.
Can we point to areas of our lives we left behind to follow Jesus? Or is there still a cloudy mix of the world and the one they call the Messiah.
I’m convinced there’s many who say they follow yet they’re not really following. So what’s it mean to really follow Jesus? Can we stay the same or is there actually change required. I read Jesus’ words like deny self and it only makes sense not only change must happen but transformation of the inner self. It’s fairly easy to see who or what someone’s following in their life by the way they act or speak. My challenge is to pass on the leaders taking us to something dead and turn and follow the one who takes us to the fullest life possible.
Would you pray with me? God we admit we follow many dead things in our lives that don’t amount to anything. We pray you would lead us to surrender and following you to a new life that’s awaiting and calling us deeper. Teach us to follow you Lord. Forgive us when we don’t. Amen.
