Follower
When I was a kid, I was a follower. I wasn’t usually the one stirring up trouble unless I was following the lead or influence of someone else. I was easily influenced and felt the peer pressure to look and act like others. I had accepted Jesus and considered myself a Christian. I was known by the people I hung out with and some of them had questionable character.
When I went away to college, I feel like my freshman year was a bit of an extension of High School as I tried to figure life out. I had new friends. I was in a new city. Life for me looked significantly different. During my college years, I started figuring out that I was called to lead others to become followers of Jesus. To do that I needed to keep my relationship with the Lord in check.
Jesus had devoted followers that stepped up and handled His burial and followed Him all the way to the tomb. Check this out….
57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. (Matthew 27:57-61 NLT)
As I reflect on Joseph’s actions, I realize that following Jesus compels me to act. Joseph saw to it that Jesus received a proper burial. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were also following and watching. I’m sure they felt helpless but thankful for Joseph handling these things.
As a follower of Jesus, I am often called to pray. I am called to serve. I am called to give. I am called to love. I am called to listen. I am called to go. I am called to be silent.
As a follower of Jesus, everything about me and everything I have is for Him. Following Jesus is an “all in” call upon my life. That’s exactly how I want to follow Him – all in. I hope that in following Jesus, others follow my lead.
Pressing On!
Dwayne