Last night we started our new study in life-group called “Not a Fan”. The premise of the study is: are you a fan or a follower? First, you have to define a fan and a follower to determine which category you fall into. Webster defines a follower as: “one that follows the opinions and teachings of another”. Another definition from Webster is: “one that imitates another”. The definition of a “fan” as Webster defines is “an enthusiastic devotee usually as a spectator. It is also defined as an “ardent admirer or enthusiast.”
This was such an eye-opening hit to the ego. If I am being honest, completely totally honest, I am a fan. I don’t follow every teaching of Jesus. I follow his teachings when they fit into my day, life, or situation. I follow him when it’s easy for me. As for the second definition…I definitely don’t imitate Jesus. Is being a “fan” enough to get me to Heaven? Maybe… but then there’s also a chance that Revelation 3:16 may just apply to me. It says: “So, because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” That is nothing short of terrifying. I could live my entire life going to church, applying the Bible to some parts of my life, praying when I need something, before meals, at church, and at night and still God could say to me at the end of my life “Depart from me I never knew you”. Matthew 7:21-23
So, what does it mean to be a follower. I think a follower, a true follower, is someone who earnestly follows Jesus and his teachings at all times. Not just when they feel like it. The bottom line is that if I want to follow Jesus, if I want to honestly know him, I have to die to myself and this world…daily. I have to take up my cross and follow him Matthew 16:24. He commands us to love him with all of our heart, our mind, our strength, and our soul. He also commands us to love our neighbor as our self. He commands us to do that. Nowhere does it say: “when you are feeling good and things are going your way love me with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. It doesn’t say: “love your neighbor as yourself when they are treating you well”. Oh, I wish it said those things. Because then…I would be categorized as a “follower”.
I was listening to the amazing T.D. Jakes this morning. He was preaching on love and God’s commandment of love. He commands us to love. Bishop Jakes illustrated that God wouldn’t command us to do something if we didn’t have the ability. He wouldn’t command us to transform into an animal, for example, because we don’t have that ability. But, since he did command us to love him and our neighbor, we must possess that ability. Which means that our excuses for not doing that don’t hold up. That’s some more bad news.
Not only should we do these things, we must to do these things, if we truly want to be a follower of Jesus. Those are some difficult commands.
To me, all of this means that I have to search God’s word and learn all that I can about Jesus. I have to understand his teachings and let them make an imprint on my heart. It means, that I have to learn to control my mind. It means that I have to fight my flesh daily. I have to bite my tongue, give up on winning every argument, I have to stop being lazy and complacent, I have to turn the other cheek, I have to love God more than I love myself and fight all of my earthly desires. I have to die to myself daily.
It’s a tall order for sure. But I am certain that it is more than worth it. So this is day one on my quest to become a true follower of Jesus.
– Court
Hot Mess Mom 