Skip to main content

Follower

Have you ever thought about what you may want written on your tombstone? They are  final words that are written about you and intended to encompass who you were and how you lived.  They are etched into stone in hopes that they will stand the rest of time. They are powerful words. Years of living summarized in one short sentence.

Recently, I read a verse and thought, "That would be an honor if it were used to summarize my life.  I'm not sure I'm bold enough to state it myself. I'm also not sure it has the same impact if I ask for it to be on my tombstone. Rather, it would be an honor if God said it about me."

The words I'm speaking of come from Matthew 21:6, "The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them." I think space is limited on a tombstone. So, maybe it would better be stated as, "He did what he was told to do."

To me, the goal of being a Christian is to follow.  The word follow shows up in the Bible over 400 times. The first it is mentioned is in Genesis and the last is in Revelation. Jesus said to Peter and the guys He was fishing with,'“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”" (Matthew 4:19)

When we follow Jesus we choose love as our modus operandi or our way of doing things. He gave us a new commandment. We are to love one another as Jesus loved us.  By the way we love they will know we are His disciples (followers).  Love needs to become the filter through which we see all things and is the motivation for all actions because we have chosen to follow Jesus. 

I don’t know about you, but reading that last sentence is difficult. When I consider my actions and what I see in this world, I fall short of this bar set by Jesus. There are times when my words, temper, and thoughts lack love. There are times that if a person who doesn’t know Jesus saw or heard me, they would question if I were a follower of Jesus. I hope that my moments of shining like a follower of Jesus outweigh my moments described above. 

I long for God to say, "His tombstone should read 'He did what he was told to do.'" It would mean I loved like Jesus. I’m not there yet.  I’m still a work in progress trying to do what I am told.  

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Matt


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bold Like Stephen

I've always admired people who aren't afraid to be bold in their convictions.  It is the kind of boldness that allows them to stand out in the crowd. There is just something different about how these people view and engage the world around them.  The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” portrays a man that exemplifies what I mean by bold.  He was drafted to serve in World War II but refused to bear arms because of religious reasons. Yet, he still managed to receive the Congressional Medal of honor. Without a weapon in his hand, he saved 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. Despite his objection to violence, he still served his country. Despite his objection to war he found a way to love his neighbor. He was bold.  When I think of bold in the Bible, I think of Stephen. Acts 6:8 says, "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." Stephen faced opposition to his teachings. Those that opposed his teachings couldn't ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do the Work

Sometimes I sit down to write and it just seems like I am trying to write with a pen without ink. There is simply nothing productive coming from the activity. Other times, God just pours it out on me. The ideas flow and the message comes together with ease. More often than not it's the former rather than the latter. It seems God likes to make us work for it. The ones I have to work a bit harder on become the ones I like the most. I think we appreciate the things we have to work for more than the things that come easy. Our LifeGroup recently read about the Miraculous Catch of Fish. You know the story where Peter and his buddies have been out fishing all night and came back to shore completely empty handed. That next morning, Jesus asks them to take him out in the boat. Once out on the water, He has them put the nets back down and they bring in loads and loads of fish. So many fish that two boats almost sank.  I guess Jesus could have just made the fish jump into th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grits

This past Saturday I got the chance to catch up with my friend at breakfast. We connected months ago over grits, of all things. I learned he really didn't care for grits. Turns out his parents used to make him eat them quite often and in many forms. As he has grown older he's made the conscious decision, he's had enough grits for a lifetime. On the other hand, I really enjoy grits. They are a wonderful breakfast food with butter, salt, and pepper. For dinner, you can't beat some good shrimp and grits. I have a recipe for jambalaya grits that will put a smile on anyone's face. It is like jambalaya meets cheese grits. Yum! My friend and I joke about grits everytime we see each other. I offer him some and he politely refuses. Of course, I respect his wishes and don't give him any grits. How do you offer someone grits? Do you insist they eat and like them because you eat them? Do you put them on their plate anyway? Do you treat them differently bec...
Post a Comment
Read more