Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. – Luke 9:23
Do you remember the following question from Dr. Brooks’ sermon Sunday: Do you like Christ or are you like Christ? I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I was reminded of a message I heard John Ortberg give about the difference between being an admirer of Christ and a follower of Christ. He said, “An admirer is impressed. A follower is devoted. An admirer applauds. A Follower surrenders his life.”
An admirer likes Christ. They may go to church and tithe but if God asks them to give up something dear to them or if things don’t go their way, they draw the line. A follower leaves everything on the table. If God asks for their time, money, position, or anything else, they are willing to give. If life doesn’t go the way they want it to, they cling closer to Him, trusting in His plans.
It is hard to examine your life in this way. I don’t know about you, but the truth is that I fall into the category of admirer more often than I think. When I examine the choices I make each day about how to spend my time and resources, it becomes clear what’s more important.
The good news is that God is not finished with me yet. He’s not finished with you either. So the question is do you want to be like Christ? In the coming months, we’ll be talking more about this. I’ll be asking you some questions. Feel free to ask me some as we journey together in faith.