FOLLOWING
You can follow after certain lifestyle principles (to be rich, to be famous, to be wise, to be committed). You can also follow a person; you can emulate his example and desire to be like her. The Bible, of course, says that first and foremost we must follow Jesus Christ. Since he is the perfect Son of God, since he has created us, since he knows what is best for us, and since he has prepared a place for us in eternity, doesn’t it make sense to go in his direction? Only then will we wind up at his destination-heaven.
HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE ARE FOLLOWING AFTER THE WRONG THINGS?
Exodus 34:12 . . . Be very careful never to make treaties with the people in the land where you are going. If you do, you soon will be following their evil ways.
2 Peter 2:15 . . . They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.
If you find yourself compromising your values in order to please those who don’t know God, then you are following after the wrong things.
Joshua 24:15 . . . Choose today whom you will serve . . . But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.
Following should not be just blind obedience. It should involve a choice, a definite decision to go in a certain direction. What is the direction you have chosen?
FOLLOWING GOD’S WORD IS THE BEST WAY TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE.
Psalm 119:9 . . . How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules.
FOLLOWING CHRIST MEANS LEAVING EVERYTHING ELSE BEHIND AND DEVOTING OURSELVES TO HIM.
Matthew 19:27 . . . We’ve given up everything to follow you.
Luke 6:13 . . . At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be his apostles.
To follow Christ, we need a willing heart. This means we must think less about what we are leaving behind and more about what we need to pick up in order to follow effectively.