“Come, follow Me…” Matthew 4:19
Jonathan Munson, Executive Director
“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’” Matthew 4:19
It’s undeniably true: you are a follower.
And so am I, for that matter. We all are.
Granted, we like to follow different things, but we’re all following something. In fact, we’re probably following a number of things right now:
Sports. The stock market. A hobby. Politics. The possibilities are endless.
Whatever it is we follow, we’ve deemed worthy of our time, attention, and affection. Otherwise, we wouldn’t pursue it in the first place.
Following anything takes intentionality.
And this was especially true for Peter and Andrew that day on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus’ invitation to follow Him drew a line in the sand. If they accepted, their lives would fundamentally change. They couldn’t remain full-time fishermen and follow Jesus at the same time.
In his book, Rediscovering Discipleship, Robby Gallaty explains what it meant to follow a rabbi, “It involved a literal kind of following, in which the disciples often traveled with, and imitated their rabbis, learning not only from what they said but from what they did—from their reactions to everyday life as well as the manner in which they lived.”
Of course, we can’t literally follow Jesus like Peter and Andrew, but we are called to “walk as Jesus did,” imitating His way of life (1 John 2:6). Remember, following Jesus is not just about attending a church service, reading a devotional, believing doctrine, and adhering to moral guidelines, though each is certainly important.
Following Jesus is about a living, vibrant relationship with the Person of Jesus, not merely a set of principles. Like Jesus’ original disciples, we seek to learn from Him in everyday situations, influencing not only our actions but also our reactions.
This won’t happen without purposeful, deliberate effort every day.
The truth is, if we’re not intentionally following, then we are slowly drifting. No one wakes up planning to drift away from God, but it just kind of happens gradually. Drifting is slow neglect over time. It’s like switching on the autopilot and letting the current take you wherever it goes. You coast with the culture.
On the other hand, following Jesus is a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment commitment to turn your heart toward Him and surrender to His leading.
Sure, there will inevitably be an ebb and flow in how closely we follow Him. We’ll have days of closeness and days when He seems distant. But through it all, our hearts pursue Him in every season of life.
So, what will you do today?
Follow or Drift?
May we never follow the things of this world with greater joy, diligence, or focus than we follow Jesus.
DIG DEEPER:
Read “Is Following Jesus Overrated?” also by Jonathan Munson
