Following Christ

"One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!' And they left their nets at once and followed him.

A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. He called them at once, and they also followed Him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men." Mark 1:16-20 NLT

Have you ever had an encounter with Jesus? Has that encounter ever led you into a relationship as a follower of Jesus?

I'm amazed at the people that I counsel with. Their lives are in crisis. We talk, we pray and Jesus helps them. Maybe it's a relationship, health or financial issue. Once they encounter Jesus and His blessing, off they go. They live life business-as-usual until the next problem. Then they come back for another encounter with Christ. After awhile, they are frustrated because this "Jesus thing" just doesn't work.

Jesus isn't looking for encounters. He's looking for followers. He doesn't just want a date, He wants an eternity relationship with us.

I look at the scriptures and see lots of encounters with Christ. People that He raised from the dead, healed of various illnesses, and gave forgiveness for sins. We know that they were overjoyed and astounded. But we don't really see many followers. I'm amazed at myself. If I have to be honest, my life doesn't always reflect a follower of Jesus. There are times when I seek Christ for the encounter of a blessing. I'm so thankful for His unfailing love!

What about you? Are you content with a Jesus encounter? Or do you yearn for something deeper? Have you heard Jesus calling to your soul? Will you become a Jesus follower?