Follow Me

I meet with some students to talk about Jesus.  Essentially it is a Bible study but I think that Bible study has a specific meaning behind it that often is negative or has to be a certain structure.  We meet once a week, talk about our lives, look at scripture to see who Jesus is and what he is all about, talk about how this translates to our lives, pray and hang out.  It is beautiful and the girls that I meet with are wonderful.

Today, we were looking at two passages, Luke 9:18-26 and Luke 18:18-30.  The last part got me.  I almost cried.


"'Truly I tell you, ' Jesus said to them, 'no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.'"  Luke 18:28-30


This was a reminder to me.  Nearly four months ago, I left everything I knew to move to Indiana to work with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  It has been a beautiful and wonderful journey.  I am constantly excited about my job.  I truly love it and can't believe I get paid to do what I do.  It's amazing.  But there are times that have been difficult.  Being here for four months means that I have been away from my family and my friends, the people who know me, familiar.  I have experienced homesickness for the first time in my life.  Everything is new. Everything is a learning experience.  Sometimes I just want to be in a familiar place with familiar people who will hug me and smile at me.

Reading this passage today was God's reminder to me why I moved in the first place.  He has called me here.  I followed Him here.  This is exactly where I am supposed to be. I will be rewarded for my obedience.  I am here to help further the Kingdom.

Jesus often says in the Gospels, "come, follow me."  I am curious: are you following him?  In this passage, Jesus is telling a wealthy man that he must sell all he has to enter the Kingdom of God.   Are you willing to give up everything you have to follow Him?  I am not saying that God is asking you to give up everything, but would you be willing to?  It's all about our hearts and the attitude that is there. This is your heart check for today:  What are you willing to do to follow Christ?