What does it mean to follow Jesus?

To follow Jesus, one who has trusted Jesus Christ as his or her Savior will actively choose to grow in their relationship with him.  For some, as soon as they read that first sentence their eyes will sort of glaze over and they will intone the words somewhat like a mantra: “Read your Bible and pray every day.”

There is nothing wrong with that simple instruction, except for the fact that it has become so commonplace that it has lost most of its meaning and impact.  The reality is that reading one’s Bible and regular prayer are part of following Jesus, but do not give us the entire picture.

To follow Jesus means to learn from his words and his example.  A follower of Christ will actively change their lifestyle so that it reflects the principles of living taught by Jesus and explained in the rest of the New Testament.  A Christ follower will learn what it means to love others the way God shows his love to them.  One who follows Jesus will actively strive to develop the characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). 

All too often those of us who have been professing Christians for many years have fallen into the trap of thinking that if we read our Bible, pray and go to church somewhat consistently that we are doing the basics.  Then if we serve in the church, we are moving up the ladder.  The sad reality is that we can all too easily go through the motions of being a Christian and yet never truly follow Jesus.  (Matthew 7:21-23 is a passage we all need to read and ponder.)

Woven into the fabric of the Gospel of John are three characteristics of one who follows Jesus Christ, or a disciple.   Jesus said that we are really his disciples if we “hold to his teaching” (John 8:31-32.)  A better translation is to abide in him or continue to follow his teaching.   The second characteristic of a disciple is that we “love one another” (John 13:34-35).  The third mark of a disciple is that we “bear fruit” (John 15:8), or are productive for God.

While we are going to look at each of those characteristics on their own, for this week we will focus on one reality.  A follower of Jesus, a true disciple, is striving each day to live his or her life in a manner that is patterned after the teachings and principles by which Jesus lived his earthly life.

Today’s Tip

Take some time to reflect on your relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is one area where he has changed you?

What is one area that you know needs to change so you can grow in your relationship to Jesus?

Ask God to help you to change and then write out some specific ways that you can begin to make the changes.  Each step should be small and easy to achieve.  Ask someone who will be honest with you (spouse, friend, sibling, etc.) to review your list of steps and to help hold you accountable. 

Next week:  What does it mean to abide in Christ (John 8:31-32)?