“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow
Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’”—Mark 1:17
When Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover,
John's Gospel tells us that many believed in His name after they saw the signs
He did. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because "He knew all men, and had no need that
anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24–25). Many believed in Him in a shallow,
superficial sort of way, without any real commitment
attached. They were interested in Him, curious about Him, drawn by Him, and
perhaps even felt affection for Him. But, they were not loyalty or committed to
Him. Jesus knew that when difficulties came the multitudes would simply drift
away. For that reason, Christ did not commit
Himself to them.
There are many people who say they want to follow Jesus. And that's good. But that
commitment will be challenged. We must decide to follow Jesus-not because our best friend is, not because our
boyfriend or girlfriend is, not because our parents are, but because we have
chosen in our own heart-of-hearts to follow Christ.
Many of us can get caught up in the moment. For example, it is like watching Olympic completion
and then become inspired to become an athlete. But do we realize the hours, days, months, and
years these that athletes dedicate to one competition? We get excited about the ceremonies and the
national attention that is given, but are we willing to go through the
training? Are we willing to count the cost? Is our commitment to Christ and Him alone? Are
we willing to be real followers of
Jesus?
To be a follower of Jesus we must first trust Him, “Let not your
heart be troubled; you believe in God, believer also in Me” (John 14:1). We will not follow someone that we do not trust. Trust develops as we abide in Him and
discover His character and the depth of His love.
Secondly, to follow means to be obedient, “If you love Me,
keep My commandments” (John 14:5). When
it comes to obeying God, there are only two responses that we must think
about: I will or I will not. A true follower
of Jesus combines trust with obedience saying, “Yes Lord,” even in difficult times of heartache and suffering.
Lastly, to follow Jesus means to serve
Him. As God’s children, we are not to be
observers; we are to participate actively in the Lord’s work. “Now
you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Corinthians
12:27). As members in the body of
Christ, we are called to use our spiritual gifts so that His body can be built
up.
Take a moment and reflect—ask
yourself, “Are there areas in my life where I am not being a follower of Christ
with true commitment? Allow the Holy Spirit to point out areas that
may need work, and those that you are confident in.
Prayer—Father
I ask You to give me a trusting servant’s heart and an obedient spirit in every
area of my life, in Jesus Name.
Amen.
