Why Are You Following?

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.  (Matthew 8:1) 
 
Why are you really following Jesus? After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus amassed a huge crowd. This huge crowd was made up of individuals who were following Christ for different reasons: 
 
1.  Some followed out of interest and curiosity. They just showed up because everyone was headed that way, and they were interested in Jesus. They wanted to know more about Him. Maybe that is where you are right now in your pilgrimage toward God. You have interest and curiosity. 
 
2.  Some followed just because they were following the crowd. Not much was happening in Jesus’ day. People followed crowds because of the different leaders and teachers. Crowds like this still ebb and flow, but do not stick. 
 
3.  Some followed out of habit. It was common for a teacher to walk along and teach, and a rabbi to have a following. Jesus was the new teacher in town. It seemed like the thing to do. Churches are filled today with people who are looking for the next new preacher, but rarely do those people stick.  
 
4.  Some followed because they were longing to be part of something. They longed for their life to count, to get on the bandwagon, to support some cause for identification. Christianity is very important; knowing Christ will give more purpose and direction in your life than you could ever imagine.  
  
5.  Some followed because they wanted to receive something. There was a leper in that group and he needed something. Although he probably followed at a distance for a while, he rushed in and received something very special.  
 
Maybe this is where you are today. You are in that crowd following Christ for some reason, which is different from another person in the crowd. God knows your need, your “why,” and your “why nots.” He is here, right now as you read these words, and He longs to whisper to you, “I see you and long to meet you at your need right now.” Wait on Him and allow His loving arms to hold your heavy heart. Whatever your reason for following Him, He knows…just keep following.

3 Comments


Betty Jane Laughlin - November 28th, 2023 at 8:40am

I follow Jesus because I accepted Him as my Savior and I am always curious to learn more about Him. And to help others to want to know Him.

Parris - November 28th, 2023 at 11:55am

Agree .. One must have a reason to follow Jesus Christ, The Son of God. My journey began with questioning, and searching. Thankfully, today it is believing and trusting ... each day, one day at a time. I Praise my Savior, Lord, Master, Redeemer and King. He is there every day I call upon His Name to listen and answer my prayer 🙏!!

James W. Howell - November 28th, 2023 at 12:32pm

I Believe that JESUS found me wandering along trying to get closer to GOD. He has been there Every Minute of My Life. each day I feel closer to My LORD And Savior. He is My Life, My Love"" GLORY TO GOD !

Recent

Archive

 2024

Categories

Tags

Kingdom abandoned abandoning abandon ability abondoned acceptable acceptance accepted accepting accept accomplishment accomplish accordance accountable acknowledge actions activity addiction admitting admit adoration advancing advice affection affirmation afraid aligned aligning align alive allowedd allowed allowing allow almighty altered amazing amount anxiety anxious appeared appearing apply approaching approach argument arrogant assurance assures assure attend attention attentive attitude audience authority banished baptized beaituful behaviors behavior beieve beliefs belief believed believeibng believerrs believers believer believes believe believing belong benefits biblical blend blessed blesses blessings blessing bless blossomed bond brokenhearted burdens burden burial buried capable careful cares care caring carving celebrate challenges chance change changing charges charge churches church claiming clarity climate combat comfortable comforting comfort commanded commandment commands command commitment committed communicate communicating communion community companionship companion compared comparing comparisons compassion competition complete complicated compliment comprehend compromised compromise concerned concerning concerns concern confessed confess confidence confident conflicts conflict confrontation confronting confused confusion connected connection connect consider consistent contact contentment content context contradict control conversation convicting conviction convict convinced convince corrected correcting courageous cover created create creation critical crucial crucified crucifixation crucify culture cure curiosity customers daily death decided decide declaration dedicated defend deflection deliberate delivers denomination denying departure depression describe description deserved deserves deserve desie designed desired desires desire desiring desrtuction destiny determine devastated develop devotional devotion dictates dictate difference different difficult directing direction directly direct disappeared disappoint disciples disciple disconenct discouraged discovered discover discuss display disruptions distance dividend educated education effort eliminated embrace embracing emotional emotions emotion emplower employer empower encoraged encounter encouraged encouragement encouragers encourages encourage encouraging encouragment endured endure energy engaged engagement engage engaging enjoyed enjoys enjoy enouragements enslaved ensure equation equip eternal eternity ethical evaluate everlasting evil example excited excitement exciting excluded expand expectations expectation expected experiences expression express extended faithfully faithfulness faithful faith family famous favor fearful fear feelings feeling fellowship finisher finish fire focused focusing focus followed followers follower following follow fooled forgave forgiveness forgiven forgive forgiving fortunate forward foundation founders freedom free freidnships fresh friendship friends fulfilled fulfillment fullness future gathering gave generation generosity generous genuine gifts gift given givers giver give giving glady glad glimpse glorfiy glorified glorify glorious glory godly goodness gospel goverment grace gracious grateful gratitude grave gravity grieve grope growing growth grow guidance guided guides guiding guilty guilt handling happiness happy hardship healed healing health heal hearing heartbreak hearts heart heaven help hesitate holy honest honorably honored honoring honors honor hoped hopefulness hopeful hopeless hopes hope hoping horror humanity humbly identified identify identity ignited ignorant ignore imagine immature impacted impactful impact impatient importance important including inevitable influence information inherent innocent inspiration inspired inspires instance instant intended intensity intentional intentions interceding interesting interest interpretations intimately intimate intrude investment invitation invite itimacy journey joyful joy justifying knowing knowledge known laborers labor leadership leaders leader leading lead leaning learning learn legacy lonely longing lordship loved loves love loving manipulate marriage married mature mediator meditate meditation membership members memeber memorable memory merciful mercy message mindful minds minister ministry miracles miracle miraculous missing mission moment motive moun notice nourished nourishment obedience obedient obey obligation observer observe offering operate opinions opportunities opportunity oppressed outcome overcome overcoming overpowered overpower overwhelmed overwhelming ownership painful parenting partnership passage passing passion pastors patient peace peae perception perfectly perfect perform perishing perish persecuted perseverance personally personal perspective plan pleasing political pondering positioned position possibility powerful power praised praises praiseworthy praise praising prayed prayerful prayers prayer praying pray preached preachers preacher preaching preach prepared prepare presence present pressure prevent pride primary principle probelm problem process proclaim produce productive promised promises promise promote prosperous prosper protecting protection protect proud proved prove provides provide providing provision purify purity purposes purpose pursuing raises raise realized realize realizing reassured rebelling rebellion receive recieved recover recuperation redeems redeem redemption redemptive referring reflection refuse reignite rejected relationships relationship religion religious remedy remember remembrance reminds renewal repeated repentance repent represent resisted resisting resist resolution respect responsibility rest resurrection retreat return reveals righteous ritual royalty running sacrifice safest safe salvation satisfied satisfies satisfy saved save saving scriptual scripture secured security seeking seek selfish sensitive seperated seperate seperation sermon servants servant served server serve service serving shame shaping share sharing showed significance silence silent sinful sinless sinners sinner sin solve soul speaking speak spiraling spirirt spiritually spiritual spirit spread srve stability standards standing strengthen strength stressed stressful stress strong struggles struggle struggling submit substain successful success suffering supply supported supportive support surrendered surrender surrounding surround survived talents teachable teachers teaches teachings teach tears temptation tempted testify thoughtful thoughts through thrown together tolerance tradition translation treat trouble troubling true truly trusted trusting trustworthy trust truth trutyh unbelievers uncomfortable understand unshamed utilize validation valuable values value verbally victory violated vulnerable waiting wants watchful willingly willing wisdom wise witnessed witness wonderful wondering wonder worried worrying worry worshipping worship worthy wrath