Fan or Follower

It's amazing, it is only the beginning of March, and yet we find it difficult to stay the course of making getting to know the Lord fully, personally and precisely our priority.  It is so easy to get distracted. I am glad we are on this journey together to nudge each other to get back on track in growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - II Pet 3:18. 

The exciting thing about growing in the knowledge of our Lord is that we have the privilege to be taught by The Master.   Jesus personally invites us to become His  students:  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls - Matt 11:29.  Jesus  extended an invitation for salvation in the previous verse: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest - Matt 11:28. This is the "come unto me rest" which says come to me and I will give you salvation rest. Once we come to Jesus and He gives us salvation rest (assurance of spending eternity with Him by trusting in His finished work at the cross), He encourages us to now come after Him and learn of Him so that we can find submission rest (the abundant life rest, where grace and peace are multiplied in our lives).

Jesus wants us to come after Him, in other words He wants us to become committed followers, not fans. Fans are spectators who are moved by what they see, feel, and experience. They just want to show up and be blessed. Followers are dedicated and willing to do the daily work and make the necessary sacrifices required to get to know Jesus and to become like Him:  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 - Matt 16:24.

The first step in becoming a follower is to deny ourselves. We must put His interests above our interests. Getting to know Jesus intimately, personally and precisely must become our priority and our pursuit: And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart - Jer 29:13. When we misplace something we value  we will turn the house upside down looking for it. We can't rest until we find it. It is with this sense of urgency we are to seek and search for the Lord in order to get to know Him.

Following Jesus requires us to take up our cross. We must put to death, crucify our self centered life to live a God centered life: He must increase, but I must decrease - John3:30. Jesus must become the star of our story not us.

The next step is to take His yoke upon us.  A yoke is a physical device placed around the neck of animal to restrain and control its movements. Taking His yoke means we voluntarily put our necks under His authority. When we take His yoke, we are acknowledging He has the right to direct our lives: to tell us what to do and what not to do. In order to take His yoke we must humble ourselves before God, recognizing He is both greater than we are and more important.  

Fans are infatuated. They demonstrate their infatuation through their emotions. Followers, on the other hand, are committed. They demonstrate their commitment through their obedience.  Are you ready to put your neck in to it and become a follower? 

taking His yoke,
Diane

p.s. I'm taking His yoke Pulling it off the shelf Putting it on my chain Wearing it 'round my neck (in my Jill Scott voice)...that's truly living my life like it's golden, under His authority! #Be a Follower, #Not a Fan

p.s.s. Those of us who are little older remember the tv series  Kung Fu. The young boy, grasshopper, became a student of his Master. He shadowed every martial art move of his master. He humbled himself and hung on his every word for wisdom for life. He was a follower of his master, not a fan. #Following the Master.

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