Follow Me

So, this past week I tried a new type of exercise, Pilates Reformer. It was a strange contraption, that uses all sorts of pulleys, weights, springs for resistance to achieve proper muscle length and strength. I would grade my first week as a C, for clutz.

My teacher, Tricia, had lots of patience with me. I couldn’t quite understand all the terminology of everything, and she would kindly show me what’s what. Tricia would be telling us to do to pull this way and I would be pulling that way. She would then walk over and help point me back in the right direction.

I’ve been thinking this week about how hard it was to follow my leader when everything was so new to me. It helped to watch the person next to me, but I still needed to be told, directed, guided and helped in this new type of exercise. But, following Tricia was very important so I could get the most out of this exercise class!

This week, I was studying in my bible the story of Jesus as He walked along the Sea of Galilee. He saw Peter and Andrew two fishermen who were busy fishing and casting their nets. In Matthew 4:19 Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And do you know what? Peter and Andrew left their nets and followed Jesus! It’s amazing how they left at once and followed Jesus. They made no excuses about why they needed to stay and fish. They left their jobs and went immediately.

When you follow someone, you go where they go. You follow their lead. You surrender control of your own agenda and follow. It made me think of my journey with Christ.

Following Jesus might seem like getting on that Pilates Reformer and not understanding what it all means or what it looks like. I remember those days well as a new Christian. Yet, as time goes on, I get that it’s a lot like that exercise class. Where the teacher leads, I will follow. Jesus is worth following!

Following Jesus is not just about going to church on Sunday or acting a certain way. Following Jesus means you will go where He leads and let Him take care of leading you. You choose to live your life for Him. You trust Him and see that Proverbs 3:5-6 is truly a way of living. You pray because you need constant communication with the One who loves you most. You trust Him to lead you because you can’t imagine what it would be like to live without Him. You entrust your life, your family, your job, your relationships to Jesus because you know He’ll carry You. Following is everything!

Jesus’ call to “follow me” to Peter and Andrew is still true today. He still calls people to come and follow Him. How will you respond?

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.