Then Jesus said to
His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)
We
can take God’s presence for granted. We can assume that because Jesus said He
would be with us always, He will follow us wherever we go (Matt. 28:20). Jesus
does not follow us; we are to follow Him. You do not invite God to join you in
your activity. He invites you to become involved in His activity. Jesus said:
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Following Jesus requires
absolute obedience. He does not seek our counsel about which direction we think
is suitable. God already knows what is best without ever having to consult with
us.
Following
Jesus will lead you into experiences you never dreamed of! You will be with
Jesus as He weeps over those trapped in sin. You will feel the pain that Jesus
feels. You will see those who were spiritually blind experience the joy of
coming to see God for the first time. You will see lives that were broken, made
whole. You will see marriages restored; those in , released; and those who
mourn, comforted. At times it will be easy to follow Jesus. At other times, you
will be tempted to abandon Him. Following Jesus can mean going through a storm
or standing on a mountaintop.
You
may have stopped following Jesus, but now you want to follow again. When you
stopped following Jesus, you did so on your terms. But the returning to Jesus
is strictly under His conditions. He is God, and you are not. Are you willing
to follow Jesus anywhere, at any time, under any condition? That is the only
way you can follow Him.
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