Following Jesus

“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23

“Follow me.” These were the first words Jesus spoke to Peter and Andrew. Two simple words, yet they carried the weight of eternity. They are the same words the Lord still whispers to us today. While we as Christians may not physically walk with Jesus as the twelve disciples once did, we are called disciples all the same. To follow Jesus means more than belief; it means continual surrender. It means choosing holiness, pursuing the fruits of the Spirit, and seeking peace each day. As Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Peter and Andrew could not have known what lay ahead when they laid down their nets. All they had was the call of Jesus and the courage to leave everything familiar behind. They surrendered their desires, their security, and even their very lives to follow Him; and in that surrender, they found life as it was truly meant to be lived. It is the same for us. To follow Christ is to deny ourselves, to be set apart, to live as His chosen people. It is to lose the life we thought we wanted, to discover the far greater life He has prepared for us. For as Jesus said, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39) I pray today we would have the courage to lay down our nets and fully follow Jesus into the life He has called us to live.