Name Tags: You are… Followers

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Luke 9:23 (NKJV)

For those of us who call ourselves Christians, CLEARLY, we need to be following Christ. So let’s reconfirm what “following” means: *

  1. To come after.

  2. To move behind in the same direction.

  3. To accept as a guide or leader; to accept the authority of or give allegiance to.

  4. To conform; to comply; to act in accordance with; to obey.

So, if we're following Jesus, are we…

  1. Coming after Him since He left the Earth? Certainly, we are!

  2. Moving behind Him toward God's kingdom? Hopefully, we are!

  3. Accepting Him as our Leader and Guide? Mostly yes, but we can forget sometimes.

  4. Conforming to and complying with Him? Acting like Him and obeying His Words? Often, no– not when we get too comfy.

Actors, models, and talent for Christ:

Following Jesus is a tough Order. Conforming our sinful, mistake-prone lives… to our Savior’s perfectly flawless life– requires an ongoing commitment to:

  • Studying His lifestyle, actions, and words.

  • Working toward consistent unselfishness.

  • Helping others, whenever possible.

  • Going the extra mile in all we do.

  • Resisting our favorite temptations.

  • Modeling our values by His values.

  • Continuing in consistent prayer.

  • Forgiving the people who’ve done us harm.

  • Giving our best to God– and to others.

  • Humbling ourselves and choosing low places.

  • Confessing our sins and making amends,

  • PLUS walking in the fruit of His Spirit!**

Because calling ourselves followers (when we’re not really following Jesus)... is a case of MISREPRESENTATION!

On the other Hand, (God’s) when the cheering fans who follow you… discover THE Rock Star you’re following– some will be intrigued and follow Him, too!

Name Tags: You Are… Followers (Part 41)

* Online definitions of follow: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/follow?s=t

** 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law' (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB).

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

Carey Arban