Worth Following

Let's begin today with a challenge: look at your social media accounts and tally up the number of followers you have. I'll give you a few minutes...

Finished? Okay, now total the number of accounts you follow. All set?

Great! Let's begin. Today's post has absolutely nothing to do with that. Huh? At least, not in that way. I'm actually pondering what it means to "follow" and to be a "follower." Take social media; following is more like paying a bit of attention --you know, when it's convenient. You receive notifications, but you are free to ignore them, even "silence" them if you like. Following an internet personality might mean agreeing with them --until their opinions conflict with yours. Being a social media "follower" could mean you imitate that person: you cook the recipes they recommend; you use identical products to organize your workshop; maybe you even begin to laugh or speak as they do. You are free to pick and choose the tenets to which you will or can adhere. The rest you are free to discard. Followers come and followers go.

And why does one follow? Ease of use? I don't have the time to come up with something new, so I'll just follow his suggestion. Maybe it's a lack of creativity or knowledge. This whole topic is beyond me; I need help. It might even be a means of self-check. Am I crazy? Does my opinion make sense? Or, maybe, it's a distraction. I've had a long day. This guy always alleviates the stress. Following on social media is sort of a what's-in-it-for-me activity. When the novelty wears off, so does the online affection.

What about content? Does the content of those we follow on social media determine the type of follower we are? Her stuff is fire! I never miss a post! Or I only check out his page when I'm looking for an alternate viewpoint. Maybe the content provides a daily dose of wisdom, or maybe it's just another voice in the algorithm. How seriously do we follow those whose sustenance does not last, whose content is not fresh, whose words do not cause us to be better people? 

Every personality or ideology has followers; this didn't start with the internet. But there is only one Master, one Teacher, one Leader who chose death knowing for certain it would bring His followers to life. That was and is Jesus Christ. Throughout His ministry, He gave people the option to follow Him, an invitation that secured His death and, possibly, theirs. Had Jesus Himself followed, adhered to the zeitgeist, no boats would have been rocked, no feathers would have been ruffled, and the hypocrites and haters would have had no cause to kill Him. Had people followed Him in much the same way we follow that guy --What's his name? --the comedian on Tik-Tok --You know the one --had they followed half-heartedly, non-committedly, conveniently, sporadically, selectively, the world would not have been turned upside down and the Adversary would have no reason to be at work today. But Jesus was and is different. One reading of John 6 reveals this.

Verse 2 tells us, a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. They followed because He was handing out bennies, because He was wow-ing crowds with extraordinary wonders. When He fed thousands of people with five barley loaves and two small fish, the people sought to grab Him and make Him king (v. 15). Give us the things that will heal our diseases, fill our pockets, and satisfy our stomachs! What followed was a game of Cat & Mouse as Jesus evaded His hungry followers: you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled (v. 26). The signs were so much greater than leprous skin made clear or a small boy's lunch exponentially increased. The signs were that He, Jesus, was and is Healer, Provider, the Redeemer of the whole world, God in flesh. The signs were that He possessed the power and authority to offer serious, steadfast, unconditional, devoted followers healing that begins with the heart, provision that does not spoil or mold, redemption that supersedes sin and death. He declares still today, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; His content is not one of many options, another voice in the algorithm. And He declares still today, the way of following Him is narrow and difficult. It is not easy and not for the faint of heart. His tenets cannot be cherry-picked or silenced; His words cannot be discarded. His purpose is not to entertain or distract. He doesn't work at our convenience. He is worthy of imitation, of absolute surrender and all our affection. And while the crowds may ask, What's in it for us?, true followers will ask, What's in it for Him? Are you following? Will you follow? The journey is so worth it.