Follow Me
One of my closest friends shared a revelation with me a while back that continues to impact my understanding of the ideal outcomes of a healthy relationship with Jesus. Jesus calls us to “follow Him.” But do we really understand what we are following Him to? The path Jesus led was ultimately to death at the cross. Many times in the Bible, He urges us to give up our own way and deny ourselves (Luke 9:23). While Christ will never have to die again (Romans 6:9), we have to walk out our free gift of salvation by making the daily decision to submit to the LORD by obeying His Spirit which takes a fresh renewal of obedience and surrender daily.
When I first got saved, the first thing to go was my blatant sin - sexual immorality. Then as I followed Him more, my habits changed - where I went, what I did in my spare time, how I dressed. Now, as I continue to follow Him, the Lord continues to reveal to me the matters of my heart, convicting me of everything that is not like Him. Out of His love, He shows me things that I need to work on because. He corrects me and helps me even when it hurts.
I used to think after I gave my life to Jesus and stopped sinning that was all the work that I needed to do. What small thinking! If we are still breathing, the Lord wants to work on us just as much as He wants to work through us. Nonetheless, that cannot happen without full surrender and humility. We need His Spirit to teach us and show us the Way. We need the blood of Jesus to cover us because on our own we do not meet the standard.
The great thing is that God has shown us great mercy through the sacrifice of His Son. He has shared His abundant love in redeeming us. Yet, even after we have received salvation, may we never forget how desperately our life depends on Him. May we never forget where He has brought us from and not give up on where He wants to take us. Self-righteousness, pride, and a rebellious spirit (even in the smallest of things) leave us uncovered disconnecting us from the very power and presence we need to be right in God’s sight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Father, help us to trust You and Your way. Help us to give up our own way and be completely dead to ourselves. May we relinquish control and let You lead us to Yourself. Help us to separate from the world, but never You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.