Friday, June 9, 2017

“Follow ME” – PERIOD!!
By Karen D’Amore

“Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him deny himself and take up his cross and Follow ME [emphasis added].’”

Horses LOVE peppermints?! Eager to test out this new revelation, I hiked to the neighboring horse ranch…my pockets overflowing with peppermints. Greeting me, a handful of curious horses patiently waited as I freed the peppermints from their plastic wrappers. One bite and it was clear…this newly-acquired information was true! Within moments, the small group multiplied into a large herd and the feeding frenzy spun out of control. When the horses kept trying to steal the peppermints from my pockets, I backed off and continued my walk along the bridle path. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed the entire herd following me. As I playfully and repeatedly changed my direction of travel, the herd followed me everywhere I went. The herd stopped and wandered back into the pasture once my pockets were empty. For months, I’ve repeated this peppermint ritual; the results always the same. The horses followed me “conditionally”…only if and when I dispensed sweet peppermint treats!

How often we conditionally follow Christ. And yet, repeatedly throughout Scripture, Jesus says, “Follow Me.”   Period!!!  At times I have struggled with putting a comma where God puts a period!  He says “Follow Me,” and I’ve said, “I’ll follow You if…” or “I’ll follow You when…” or “I’d follow you, but…”

As Christ-followers, we are called to follow Jesus. Period!

We’re to follow Him:
…when He’s silent.
…when He says “no” to our plan.
…when He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we think He should.
…when He leads us through undesirable places or circumstances.
…when He asks us to sacrifice our comforts.
…even when His pockets are empty of “sweet treats.”

When Jesus says, “Follow ME,” the “period” should be translated… “unconditionally.” It’s an all-or-nothing invitation! We give up our rights in exchange for a relationship with our Savior. Following Jesus means becoming His shadow:  following Him through “leper colonies,” being friends to outcasts, and standing firm for what’s right, in spite of the cost. It means following Him in the very essence of who we are - -that deep place within where we submit our rights to the One who gave them up for us.

Following Jesus consists of remarkable benefits, but also a price. But whatever   the cost, hearing those words “well done, good and faithful servant” will have made following Him so worth the sweet, eternal “treats.”

How are you responding to His invitation? Prayerfully surrender the “ifs”… “whens”… and… “buts”…and “Follow Jesus”…PERIOD!

GOING DEEPER:
1.  What conditions are you putting on your “following”?

FURTHER READING:


Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and a Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility.