Today I was remembering what a dear friend shared with me a few years ago. She shared how she wanted to be thin, so she started watching what thin people do and what they don’t do. Then she started following their ways of living. In a short while she started losing weight. A few months later she had lost so much weight she couldn’t believe how thin she was. You could have put two of her in a pair of jeans she once wore. She said she learned in order to be thin she had to live like a thin person lives. So she did.
I think about my friend and how her story is a perfect example of what Jesus wants us to do with Him. He wants us to follow Him. When we do, we become like Him.
Like my friend, following what thin people did and didn’t do required her to deny herself some things. That’s exactly what we need to do to follow Jesus.
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’” (Matthew 16:24).
When we follow Jesus, He teaches us what He wants us to do and not to do.
Jesus is The Best Teacher.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you” (Psalm 32:8).
Jesus doesn’t just say, “Come, follow me” without also providing instruction and counsel in how we’re to follow Him.
He teaches us the right way to become like Him.
“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way” (Psalm 25:9).
Jesus is The Best Teacher.
I’ve had a lot of teachers throughout my life. The best teachers always, and yes, I mean always, guide their students. They sacrifice and are patient with them. They will cause something to happen to help their students learn.
I remember being in elementary school and how often we had to line up and “follow” our teacher to different places in the school. The teacher was teaching us how to get places and then what to do once we arrived.
It’s the same with Jesus.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
Friends, Jesus is The Best Teacher, but we have to follow Him to learn what He wants to teach us so that we can go out into this world and share the good news of who He is to us.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
This Advent season my prayer for you is that you’ll choose to spend time with The Best Teacher. Follow Him. Then you will be like my friend and learn in order to be like Jesus we need to live like Jesus lives.
Wonderful lesson- I like the way you brought in current-day illustrations.
Thanks for inspiring me and many others to continually seek to follow Jesus-not some of the time but ALL of the time.
Hi Shaune! Thank you for reading my blog! And can I just say you are a wonderful example of someone who follows Jesus’ ways. Your kindness is extravagant! You are quick to encourage and edify others in just the right way they need it.