Which one are you?

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From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. John 6:66-67.

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This portion of scripture is very interesting as it reveals to us that every disciple is a follower but every follower is not a disciple.
It’s possible to follow in a big crowd without really knowing who you are following and why you follow.

The Follower

The follower will accept from the master everything which does not challenge him too much. He will be willing to follow as long as it does not cost him a lot.
As long as he can stay in his comfort zone.

The follower will be the kind of person who goes where the wind blows.

He does what pleases him but still keeps an eye on the master in case the latter gives some blessings or some good teachings.

The follower will follow but from far so he can easily get out of trouble if things turn bad for the master and the disciples.

The follower is at the centre of his life. He has a foot in both kingdoms and he stays in the one in which he gets more benefits for himself.

The follower will submit to himself only, slave of his five senses because he does not know better at the point where he is.

I was one

I was a follower for a long time. Even if I was saved, I was still at the centre of my life and would put Christianity in a box if it was too demanding.

But praise our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus-Christ, we do not have to remain as followers during our entire journey on earth.

5 years after being saved, I began to experience the same emptiness that I had before being saved. I was a Christian only by title but my life was even worse than a pagan.

After crying to God, I understood that Christianity was not a game and that I could not go to the other side without reaping the consequences of a life lived according to the flesh. We know those consequences, don’t we? Here a few: despair, guilt, shame, bondage, slavery to sin, etc..

I said to myself that if I have to suffer on earth, it’s better to suffer for God than for sin.

I made up my mind to follow Christ as a disciple.

The Disciple

The disciple will submit and follow the master by choice and by love not by self-interest and convenience.

The disciple will only care about what the master thinks or says.

In disciple, there is the word discipline. Paul was not tender with his body.

“No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:27

With this kind of attitude, the disciple will lose himself to find a new him through the master. 

The disciple will not pay attention to what is happening to himself because his eyes will constantly focus on the master.

This is why disciples like Stephen could be forgiving their murderers while agonising as he did when he said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Acts 7:59

The disciple will reach such a level of intimacy with his master that people around him will clearly see and hear the master through him.

If it’s ok to start our Christian journey as followers, let’s make sure we finish it as disciples. 

Take care today my friend.

guiYome 🙂
A son of the Most High