This past week, my social media feed was blowing up about ALL things NBA. Other than Kemba Walker leaving the Hornets, I know and care about….oh, none of it. And yet somehow I have recently been surrounded by ALL things NBA. In real life. These friends are more than believers in the NBA….they are straight up, die-hard followers. And I’ve known that about ALL of them since the day we met. Because it’s ALL they can talk about. Especially now.
If you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, can you say that everyone you meet will know that about you in the first 2.5 seconds you meet them? Like my friends and their obsession with [and following of] the NBA? I probably can’t say that. But I do hope the way I live is a testament to my beliefs. But y’all, my life hasn’t always been a testament to my beliefs. Can I just say that I am SO glad that social media did NOT exist when I was in college. And high school for that matter. I was definitely NOT modeling the life of a Jesus Follower.
Somehow I went from that life to [hopefully or at least closer to] modeling the life of a Jesus follower.
It wasn’t overnight.
It was like a series of steps. Kind of like Tipping Points, if you’ve read Malcom Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. I had multiple Tipping Points where I became aware of God’s role in my life. They all culminated into me becoming more than a believer….and becoming a follower of Jesus. John Ortberg refers to this process as a constant transformation in his book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People.
So….how do you go from being a believer to being a follower? Well, it really comes down to the condition of your heart because it looks different for everyone.
But, here’s an actionable first step….figure out how you best connect with God. Do you hear God’s voice and experience His presence when you are hiking in the woods? Or when you are standing up for righteousness and justice? Or maybe when you are loving another person? Hearing God’s voice and experiencing who He is helps you understand who you are following and how He is asking you to do that following. You can use a Spiritual Pathways assessment like this one: Spiritual Pathways Assessment
After you’ve figured that out, step further into your relationship with God. Here are a few of the Tipping Points that I’ve experienced that I’ll expand on in future blogs….
- Be an active part of a body of believers
- Fellowship with other followers of Jesus
- Study the Word daily [or nearly daily]
- Serve others with a joyful heart
- Disciple other believers [and be discipled by other followers]
- Advocate for righteousness and confront error
- Be obedient to His call on your life, living sacrificially
Jesus said to believe Him…that He is the son of God. And then He showed us, with how He lived and the miracles He performed. He also said to follow Him.
Be more than a believer. Be a follower.
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