FOLLOW ME

Most of us read the Bible, but have no idea how it applies to our lives. Especially RIGHT NOW in the situation we’re dealing with. This. Very. Moment.  We read it and the stories are from a different time and a different place. The culture is different. The laws are different.  How does any of this apply to MY life? How does this help ME?

Now, let me be clear… the Bible is the most amazing book ever. It’s not only a love letter written to us, (yes, TO us, not just FOR us,) but it’s also a roadmap of how to navigate this world.  It may not have directions for your specific location right this instant, but the stories and directions and guidance given throughout does give you general guidelines for where to turn.

But… HOW do we apply it to our lives??

The Bible was never meant to have ALL the answers for us, for each specific thing we are going through this very instant. Remember, this wasn’t how things started. Adam and Eve didn’t have the Bible. They had a relationship with God. That’s how this was all designed. That was the intention from the beginning… for us to be in a relationship WITH Him, not in a religion FOR Him.

Of course, we all know what happens. We decide we know best and we go our own way. When that relationship was broken by sin and we (humans) no longer spoke with God every day, He had people start writing things down for us, giving us rules and guidelines and directions on how to live our lives.  He gave us stories and examples of what happens when we go our own way. But, most importantly, He was showing us through all these stories and rules, that we cannot do it ourselves. We cannot live the Way He want’s us to live - in a way that is BEST for us - by doing things our own way. Without Him.

And so, He sent Jesus.

Jesus came not only to show us the Way, but to BE the Way for us. Don’t worry - even His disciples who were with Him all the time for like 3 years were confused by this.  They asked, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” to which He answered, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:5-6)

Oh…

???

Uhhhhmmm… I’m not sure about you, but this doesn’t clear things up for me!

The answer lies in what Jesus said time and time and time again.

Follow me.  FOLLOW me.  Follow ME. He didn’t say COPY me. He said FOLLOW me.

He knew He was about to die, but in that death He made a way for His Spirit to actually dwell in us. When we listen to (and obey!) that Spirit, we are following Him.

Following is an action. We can’t just check off the, “I believe in Jesus,” box and call it good. He calls us to action. It means paying attention and actually moving… WITH Him.

I find when I stop following Him (and go my own way,) I end up in a spot. A BAD spot. And then I freak out and cry, “God, why did you abandon me?!” Of course, He never abandons us. We stop following Him and we get lost. But He WANTS us to find Him and follow Him, and He assures us that we WILL find Him when we seek for Him with all our heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Okay, so… this all SOUNDS really easy.  Just follow. But it’s not.  Especially at first.

You see, at first we’re not used to listening. We’re not used to hearing His voice. His voice is soft. And gentle. And quiet. We’re used to listening to the voice of the world, which is loud, and course, and obnoxious, like a “SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!” commercial for some monster truck rally!

But, when we start listening to His voice, we become more familiar with it. The more we follow Him, the more we see how His ways ARE better than our ways, (even though they may not seem so at first!) and we learn to trust Him more. We learn to listen more. We become the sheep who know His voice and do not listen to the voice of a stranger. (John 10:4-5) This means using our will. We CHOOSE to follow Him.

So, how do we start following Him? How do we start listening to His voice?  He speaks to each of us differently… in the way that WE need to hear.  For me, it’s a gentle nudge, or a strong prompting. And I know it’s Him, (and not the voice of a stranger,) when there is PEACE in the decision.  If there’s no peace, then it’s not from Him, because the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, PEACE…   If I get the prompting to turn left, and there’s peace in that decision, (even if I have no idea where “left” is going to lead me!) and if it’s not in contradiction to His Word, then I know it’s from Him.  But, that’s just one of the ways He speaks to ME.

How does He speak to you?  Ask Him.  He WANTS you to hear Him. More than that, He wants you to LISTEN, which means we must first be silent. And then, in the silence, a still, small voice saying, “Follow me…”

May we all follow Him. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

SCRIPTURES

John 14:5-6 ~  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 ~ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

John 10:4-5 ~ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.

John 21:21-22 ~ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”