Following Is Challenging
There are costs to following, and it doesn't come cheap.
Dear #DailyFollower,
It’s me again, with one thought for the day.
Yesterday, I shared a thought about 3 Questions You Must Ask To Move From Following Passively To Following Actively. To follow passively or actively comes at a cost.
The more committed one is to follow, the more expensive the cost.
This thought is best captured in the words of Jesus in Luke 14:25-27, EXB:
25 Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me but ·does not hate [or loves more than me; Jesus is using hyperbole to emphasise his point] his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—or even ·life [life itself; or his own life]—he cannot be my ·follower [disciple]. 27 Whoever ·is not willing to [does not] carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my ·follower [disciple].
It’s no small cause to take on following Jesus.
Stephen paid the price with His life, demonstrating His love for Christ at the expense of His life. On all accounts, He carried His cross and followed Jesus right until the end.
James also did and suffered martyrdom at the hands of Herod. Thankfully, Peter didn’t have to suffer early martyrdom as James did, but eventually, he also paid with his life in His commitment to follow Jesus.
Paul’s letters to the different Churches highlighted his many sufferings in service to his commitment to follow Jesus.
So, it makes sense to expect we will also pay some price in our quest to follow Jesus.
However, what made these men and other women pay the costly price of following?
They knew something about Jesus that enabled the levels of commitment they showed in following Jesus.
How much do you know about Jesus?
How compelling is what you know about Jesus?
Is it compelling enough to make you leave everything you know to follow Him without questions?
Can you, like Abram, leave your father’s house and country and head out to a place God will show you?
Following is challenging!
I learned it from my studies in the Word, and I have learned it through experience.
Yet, I still follow, and I want more people around me and the world to follow, not passively but actively, in ways that allow God to use us as vessels through which He can express His glory to the world now and for years to come.
I follow because I have started to find what Stephen, James, Peter, and Paul learned about Christ, which made them commit to following Him actively every day since they received the call to follow.
I will share the things I’ve found so far starting tomorrow.
I would love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts about following Jesus in the comments section.
Yours faithfully,
John - One #DailyFollower