Being a Follower: Closing Thoughts

Back to "following" -- what does it mean to be a follower? If you said: 1) going after something as it moves from place to place, 2) mimic or imitate, or 3) following instructions thoroughly from start to finish, you would be correct.

Some other, maybe not so obvious examples of "following" in the scriptures are:

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

Most sheep follow their shepherd. The ones who don't end up getting into trouble. In David's experience as a shepherd, he had a vital interest in the sheep that were entrusted to his care. He made sure they had the care, provision and protection they needed. His reputation depended on it.

Ruth 1:11-18

But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!”

Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

But Ruth said:

“ Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

When the widowed Israelite Naomi and here widowed Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth were considering their futures during a famine in Moab's pagan environment, Naomi wanted to return to her own people and leave Ruth to start over again. Ruth's loyalty was expressed by her declaration that, as far as she was concerned, Naomi's people were her people. Naomi's god was her god. Naomi's land was her land. She would follow Naomi no matter what.

2 Tim 3:10-11

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.

Paul was writing to his disciple Timothy, who had been through thick and thin with him. Paul knew that sending Timothy to do something was just that same as going himself, because Timothy would do it right. Paul reminded Timothy what following him had meant.

Hebrews 13:7

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

God requires that men aspire to leadership and in so doing, to model a life worth following. Having followers is not a gimme. It is earned.

Last, you can't be a leader unless you have learned to be a follower.

He leadeth me, O bless'd thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since 'tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the victory's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Being a Follower: No Longer In Control

After the "instant replay" of the fishing miracle, the risen Jesus prepared breakfast for his fishermen. Then he took some time to help Peter re-focus on what following him means for his life.

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Peter's calling, his life focus, is to care for God's people. The followers may have been thinking that the passion (arrest, trial, cross and resurrection) put an end to all that. It didn't put an end to following, it made it permanent.

Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”

Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”

"Make hay while the sun shines" is an old cliche. Fact is, life tends to impose restrictions on us the older we get. Jesus was preparing Peter for what was ahead -- service, yes, then loss of freedom and comfort, then finally death. In Peter's case, it was a death much like the one he followed -- execution on a Roman cross. Jesus said that the time would come when Peter would be taken where he wouldn't have chosen to go. Like I said, circumstances, particularly aging imposes things on our lives that we don't choose and would like to avoid. That is why we need to make preparation while we can.

Peter had a way to make his ministry outlive him. He was a writer (at least he was a speaker who had a ghost writer). Through his letters, his travels, his speaking opportunities, he encouraged the believers to persevere under trial and obey -- to get their nourishment from the Scriptures and to be committed to maturity in life and character. He invested his life in younger men, like John Mark, who would continue after his death. This is how he "laid up treasure" in the Kingdom of Heaven. Today, 2000 years later, it is still paying off in my life, as well as others'.

A frequent topic in the news is how my generation -- the baby-boomers -- have not prepared for our retirement years. We might plan to bask on the sunny beaches in our golden years, but instead we end up as greeters at Wal-Mart so we can pay the bills. We did not save and invest, we did not prepare for that inevitability.

The same thing holds true for our service to the Kingdom of God. If we don't prepare for that inevitable time when we can't work like we used to, to let our investments in the Kingdom keep working for us and outlive us, we are missing an important point Jesus was making to his follower, Peter.

The same point is made by the apostle Paul and, in fact, the issue of preparing for what is to come is raised many times in the book of Proverbs. Seems like an important thing for a follower to pay attention to.

What will be leave behind? What will be our "legacy"? Presidents worry about their legacy, but it is not just for the rich and famous. It is for us little guys, too. Will others still be benefitting from my work after I'm gone?