following Jesus in 2007

Jesus' constant invitation to people was "follow Me". To the fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, He said "follow Me". To Matthew the tax collector, He said "follow Me". To a wealthy young man, He said "sell what you have and follow me".

I believe that Jesus still invites us to follow Him in 2007. The question is this - How does following Jesus look in 2007? For each person, that may look somewhat differently. One certainty - if we are to follow Jesus in 2007, then we need to know Him.

For the past several years, most of my Bible reading occurred in the gospels. I want to know Jesus, to understand how He would respond to the situations I face. In the process, I have discovered a gradual but steady change in my thinking. My theology has been challenged. My presuppositions about Jesus and His behaviors have been shaken. Things I held dear were contested. I discovered more questions than answers. But perhaps the deepest transformation involved my priorities.

If we follow Jesus some themes begin to emerge in our life. Themes like:

• A deeper focus on people and less focus on systems and structures (incidentally this results in a deep frustration with religious leaders who value systems and structures above people)
• Less need to control
• Rest instead of striving
• A movement away from "right versus wrong" toward a focus on "life"
• A transformation from programmed discipleship to a deep heart-level interaction with people

This is certainly not a comprehensive list of transformational themes that emerge in our life. Time and space will not permit me to discuss them all. Just as following Jesus transformed the lives of people almost 2000 years ago, today we discover a radical transformation that occurs as we follow Him.

Let me clarify - When I use the term "following Jesus", I am not speaking of following a church (even though the fellowship of believers is a vital part of this walk). I am not speaking about following a pastor or a priest. (even though leadership is part of God's Kingdom). I am speaking of a wildly dangerous adventure, abandoning the things we hold most dear in order to walk with Jesus today. This is a practical lifestyle. We will begin to embody the priorities of Jesus.

I would encourage each of us together to ask, "How does following Jesus look in my life in 2007? Pursue Him and His priorities!