Today’s Devotional Theme
Are You A Follower?
Daily Scripture
Mark 8:34
“Pick up your cross and follow, Me!”
Encouragement
Don't just follow anyone or anything, follow Jesus! In our society it's common to hear someone call themselves a Christian. From Roman Catholics to Protestants, from fundamentalists to liberals, there are many different perspectives about what it means to be a Christian. Allow me to clear up some of the confusion on this today. Christians are followers of Jesus. Saying you’re a Christian does not prove anything. Following His teachings shows evidence of conversion. In John 13:35, Jesus said love for one another is one of the signs of being His follower. "Even though less than 1/5th of the population describe themselves as leaders, few people are willing to follow the vision, the plans, the methods, or the exhortations of leaders on a consistent basis. Americans have not only become a diverse culture but an unruly one, unwilling to follow anyone but themselves." (George Barna)
Apply God’s Word
Loving your neighbor is a sign of a true follower according to the Words of Jesus. What He is saying is, if we are following then we should be caring. The two go together. The Greek for follower is μιμητής (mim-ay-tace). It's where we get the word mimic or imitate. Our obligation is to walk so closely beside Him that we begin to mimic Him. Augustine said, “But if we decline not to be the disciples of Christ, let us not decline to follow the method which he has prescribed.”
Come into His Presence
Father, it’s so easy to follow after the ways of this present world, but today I choose to imitate You. I choose to follow so closely that I begin to walk, talk and even begin to act like You would act in any given situation. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
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