Follower Of One

At this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. (John 6:66)

Did you know that good and godly leadership is about following? Yes, leadership is about becoming a follower of One . . . and that One is Jesus Christ. Be blessed as you read on!

Whether we are leading our company, our family, our small group, or just ourselves, we are all leading others. Even when we are not in any kind of obvious leadership role, we can be certain that others are watching us, simply because we have professed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If our walk is to match our talk and bring the most glory God and good to others, we must be committed to living as a follower of One.

When we are truly committed to following Jesus, we will go wherever He leads us, unlike the many disciples who deserted Him because His teaching was “hard” (John 6:60). To be sure, there are times when following Him can be difficult. It’s easy to stay in step with Jesus when He is leading us down the path of progress and the sky is blue, the clouds are fleecy, and the sun is shining brightly. But what about those seasons when Jesus leads us down a path that is littered with pitfalls and problems, and the sky grows dark and the storm winds begin to howl? We have a tendency to separate ourselves from Him at those times, thinking that distance will insulate us from the difficulties we are facing. But nothing could be further from the truth! Our Lord has ordained the difficult path for us to walk, and He has committed to walking it with us every step of the way.

Can you imagine what Matthew must have been thinking when Jesus said, “Follow me”? Here was this hated Jewish tax collector, a traitor in the eyes of his countrymen because he had chosen to serve Rome. Matthew was making a ton of money at the expense of his own people and was fully protected by the Roman government. This would be the last person anyone would think Jesus would be interested in leading, and Jesus would be the last person anyone would think Matthew would be interested in following! Yet when the Lord spoke just two words, — “Follow me” — Matthew got up and followed him! (Matthew 9:9). In an instant, Matthew gave up his old life for his new life in Christ. He walked away from a position of prosperity and power and protection to become a follower of the One, which would eventually cost Matthew everything, including his very life.

Who have you been following lately? Remember, we cannot judge the direction in life based on the difficulties we are facing. Jesus leads us down the difficult path because He is more concerned about our holiness than our happiness. Ultimately, of course, He intends for us to be conformed into His image. So don’t turn back! Press in and follow Him.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!