The Gift of God: Following Our Leader

By Campus Missionary Mary Rowley

You’re used to Jesus saying, “Follow me.” You’re not used to Jesus saying, “I’m following you.” But Jesus is following you – just in a different sense of the word. He’s keeping track of you. He knows you well. He never loses sight of you. Psalm 139 puts it this way: “You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether” (verses 3-4).

Jesus is always aware of what you’re doing. It’s an expanded version of following you on Twitter. That’s great! you say. But wait… all the time? He never takes a break? The Psalmist describes it thusly in verses 7-10: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

Maybe that’s not so great, you’re thinking now. That means he knows when you tell a lie, when you lust, when you blaspheme his name, when you tear down another’s reputation. He doesn’t choose to look away at those times. He sees you always.

That brings you back to the first phrase, “Follow me.” Jesus knows all about you. He’s been following you since before you were born. He is fully aware of the times when you break his commandments, but he still wants you to follow him. This is the gift: salvation that you don’t deserve and a higher calling that you would never find on our own. You are saved, and God has given you this higher calling. You can follow him. The only question is, will you?