Have you ever had a recurring dream, continual thought or just could not seem to get a song out of your head ?... Good I am not the only one , with that being said .. a specific word has been etched on my heart for some time now and it is the word (FOLLOW ).
The word follow is described this way via the dictionary : To go after someone .
We as human beings follow other human beings, our emotions, desires, thoughts and convictions. The Old Testament scriptures " to follow" is taken in part from the word ahar which means behind or after, Describing how a believer demonstrates faith by "walking after" the One they profess to be Lord. In the New Testament we see " to follow " is from the Greek akoloutheo which speaks of the person who chooses to follow Christ. Through our daily choices, declarations, actions, responses or the lack thereof , we too are making a choice as to whether we want to follow Christ.
We follow people on Twitter, but where are they leading us ????, now there is nothing wrong with wanting to keep up with a celebrity, public figure, friend or athlete. But if I am in close communion with you , I should not have to search the internet to find out what is happening in your life .
We follow trends, if the world or a stylist says something is hot, fashionable or to die for , do we rush out and consider it a must have ?. We have witnessed the death and destruction of people who followed false gods and lost their lives due to a leader of a cult. Some were convinced to offer up their children as sacrifices, their own bodies... were deceived into going without food or water in order to reach a place of nirvana, encouraged to drink concocted beverages and some have even given all of their life savings to fund a cause that lead them straight to hell.
When we go to the doctor, we are examined and if need be medication is prescribed and we are then told to finish the medication and come back for a follow up appointment. The physician wants to make sure that you have followed his instruction and are doing what needs to be done to keep you healthy. Then we have what we call a follow through and this is where we make the necessary changes , adjustments and apply knowledge to complete a task. There are songs entitled " Follow the Leader" and as a child we played a game by the same name. Just recently we see a television program that airs with the title of "The Following "
Scripture records time and time again ...The clarion of Jesus telling us to take up our cross and follow Him, He says "Follow Me" to the disciples, He says drop what you are doing and pick up my way of doing things.. When He said Follow Me.. I believe the M in Me stands for my and the E stands for example. How does one follow another, they learn their ways, actions, speech, characteristics, likes and dislikes. They observe the way that they resolve conflict, how they answer to accusation and how they respond when someones view concerning them has been distorted. They give though taken advantage of, become vulnerable in order to reach others, tear down walls to build others up, refuse to speak , though they have much to say and they give of themselves because they fully understand what was given as a ransom for them.
Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost, His kingdom was not of this world; yet the people including his disciples mistook his coming for the overthrowing of the Roman Empire. We too as Christians will often be misunderstood, our motives and intentions will be challenged and our reputation may even be slandered. But such is the life of the one who has chosen to lay down their lives for the sake of the Gospel. The crowds followed him because of the miracles, though great and mighty, He came to reconcile us and to change our hearts about How we perceive God the Father, ourselves , our brothers and sisters and the world.
His popularity arose because they had never seen one do the miracles that He performed, had never heard such wisdom spoken , nor had they understood the power given to a person who has yielded themselves to the One who has sent them. If we want to be effective we have to look to the one who was most effective. A person does not go to Shaquille O Neal to learn how to successfully shoot free throws, but from his life we can learn how not to shoot them. If we are to follow the command of the Great Commission; surely we must go to the one who spoke to us commanding what is required.
Many will say ... well that is not my ministry, but is that true ???, because in Matthew 28:18- 20 it states that ....He spoke to them, saying All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, Amen. Although his is the end of the chapter it is the beginning of the command.... If we profess Christ, then our actions should display the fruit of the one that we profess to love, serve and appreciate. To go means not to stay in the place where you are, to make is to construct by the putting of parts together and teach is to show , explain or educate someone how to do something.
Most want to go and build physical homes, while neglecting the ruins of their neighbors spiritual house, some want to dig a well in another country, but will not share a cold glass of water with those dying of thirst. Works ought to be accompanied by faith and I thank God for those he chooses to do those things, but what good is a nice home on earth, when a person is in danger of making hell their eternal home. And what is the profit of a well with fresh water if God has not entered the heart of the one who is being poisoned by Satan ?.
The Great Commission speaks to everyone and the responsibility that each individual has to share the Word of Life with a dying world. The United States has become the untied states because we have turned away from the teachings and example of the God we profess to trust in. We can go to any city in the country and find... all nations... Vegas, Times Square and Rodeo Drive give us a birds eye view of every ethnicity that God has created. My Jerusalem is those close to me, I must first serve them , before I endeavor to effective in Samaria or in the uttermost parts of the world.
What will it profit me if people knew my name, but not the One who created me for His good pleasure, redeemed me out of love and has empowered me to snatch someone else out of the fire ?. What will it profit me to tell another joke, when peoples lives have become a laughing matter, What does it profit me if I write a series of books, but am not a living epistle to be read before men ?
I must answer the call to take up my cross and follow Him, my cross is not a job, my weight or an infirmity.. my cross is the device God uses that very well may bring humiliation before honor. Will I follow ?... if I am forsaken by family and friends, will I follow if my motives and intentions are often misconstrued ?, will I follow and speak even if no one wants to hear ?, will I follow if alienation accompanies this journey ?. INDEED I SHALL FOLLOW !!!
For I would much rather follow the One who is high and lifted up
Than fall low and forget that I was saved to serve ; not to be served.
Hidden In Him
Pretina J Lowery
March 15, 2013
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