Jesus declares to all would-be disciples: “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9.23 NET). Following Jesus is surely not a stroll in the park. Discipleship places serious demands upon followers of Jesus.
I’ve been thinking constantly about what it means to follow Jesus. The scripture is full of passages that reflect on the implications of the gospel regarding every area of one’s life—worldview and mindset, attitudes and passions, priorities and actions, and everything else. Today I offer an acronym of some essential elements of what it means to follow Jesus. In no way do I consider it a comprehensive presentation. I am sure there will be those who may think of other elements that should be included. And they may be right. But using the letters F-O-L-L-O-W limits what one could include. At the same time, it allows for a small enough handle on the theme that it may be readily grasped. So, here it is:
Fellowship with Jesus – ABIDE
Obey Jesus – SUBMIT
Love Jesus – VALUE
Lean on Jesus – TRUST
Offer Jesus – WITNESS
Worship Jesus – EXALT
You may have figured it out already that there is significant overlap in the concepts/actions presented. That is to be expected because discipleship is not a matter of having a checklist of separate assignments that you can just tick off as “done” and forget about them. Discipleship is a way of life that embraces the whole of a person’s existence.
Yet, discipleship is not a burden but a joy to one who fully embraces it. When Jesus invites us to come to him, he tells us that he will place his yoke on us. But he also assures us: “I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11.29–30 NLT). “This is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden” (1 John 5.3 HCSB).