FOR WRITERS

FOR READERS

FOR PUBLISHERS




FREE CHRISTIAN REPRINT ARTICLES

Christian Articles for All of your Publishing Needs!

LIKE US
Translate this Page Here

FOR WRITERS

FOR READERS

FOR PUBLISHERS




Word Count: 803

Send Article To Friend Print/Use Article

Contact Jerry Ousley


Follow Me

by Jerry Ousley  
10/17/2014 / Christian Living


I've often wondered, if a stranger, perhaps someone I had heard about but had never formally met, walked up to me and said, "Drop everything you're doing and come with me," what would my response be? You know, I think I'd say something like, "Man, I've heard of you but I've got a life. I have responsibilities. People depend on me to be where I'm supposed to be when I'm supposed to be there. My wife wouldn't understand at all. What do you have in mind anyway?" More than likely I wouldn't do it. I mean, after all, who does this guy think he is?

But in Matthew 4:18-22 that is exactly what Peter and some of the other disciples had to decide when Jesus walked up to them and said, "Follow Me." Listen to the story: "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." See what I mean?

Now think about this for a minute. Putting this passage of scripture together with that found in Luke 5, we see that Jesus had borrowed one of their boats, pushed of the shore a little space and was preaching to the people. Perhaps it was His words that these fishermen heard as they worked mending their nets. They must have felt a pulling; a tugging at their hearts as Jesus spoke. Whatever it was, after He finished His message, He stepped out of the boat then asked them to follow Him. We are told that they dropped their nets, forsook their occupation of fishing, didn't take time to pack a bag, say good-bye or kiss their wives if they were married (and the Bible indicates that at least Peter was because later on Jesus went to his mother-in-law's home and healed her) and they dropped in line behind Jesus. He had told them that He would make them fishers of men.

Not many of us, in the modern world we have made for ourselves, would do such a thing. We would be considered worthless human beings if we just quit our jobs, left our families and struck out without a plan of any kind, following after a man who had simply said, "Follow Me." Think of the repercussions we would receive. I can hear it all now, "There goes a guy who must be a lazy bum! He just left his home, his mortgage, his friends, his family, and took off after that guy."

But that's exactly what Jesus has asked us to do. Now before anyone begins ripping their clothes crying, "Blasphemy!" let me explain. If you read more in the Gospels you'll find several situations in which others wanted to do what the disciples did. Take for instance the man possessed with the legion of demons; after Jesus cast them out Luke tells us that the man wanted to go with Jesus. But our Lord told him to stay with his family and be a witness for Him in his own city. Of course the disciples were in a unique position and their sacrifice was necessary. However, Jesus asks each of us to follow Him in a different way. Although we may keep our jobs, stay with our families and friends, in a way when we come to Him we have forsaken all to follow Christ. Though outward circumstances may not seem to change, we now look at those things as a new creation in Christ Jesus. In a sense we have dropped all to follow Jesus.

As we do the nature of our Lord begins to be formed in us. We are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Others should see Him in our eyes, hear Him in our words and see Him in the very lives we now lead. As they do they too will feel the compulsion to drop everything and follow Jesus. In a sense your life is telling them, "Follow me." Some will refuse, but others will fall in behind you as you follow Christ. He won't lead us astray. You can feel confident, as you wholly and completely follow Jesus, in allowing others to follow you because as long as you're in the rank of the Lord you won't lead others down the wrong road. Are you ready to fall in line and follow Jesus?

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Jerry Ousley

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

User Comments

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:


Not readable? Change text.



The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer


Main FaithWriters Site | Acceptable Use Policy

By using this site you agree to our Acceptable Use Policy .

© FaithWriters.com. All rights reserved.