TeenUp - When Is It Ok to Follow?

When Is It Ok to Follow? Who Should We Follow?

Everyone follows. Just take a look at twitter.

We often hear advice as teenagers (when peer pressure seems to be at its maximum level),  "Do not be a follower." But the truth is: everyone follows someone.  It is human nature. And its not just on twitter. Everyone (even the best inventors and entrepreneurs), in one way or another, has looked up to, fashioned themselves after, took cues from, and/or imitated someone else. Whether its the popular crowd at school, star athlete, older sibling, parents, or someone famous, we have all been followers. This, then begs the question, 'When is It Ok to Follow?' But the better question is 'Who Should We Follow?'; because its not so much an issue of whether or not we follow someone (because we all do) but rather the quality of who we follow and shape ourselves after. If you had a choice of anyone in history to follow, who would you choose?

In the Gospel of John 1:35-51, John tells the story of the first followers of Jesus Christ and how they came to follow Him. Andrew was following someone else first, Peter was recruited by Andrew to follow Jesus, Philip follows Jesus from jump, and Nathanael was skeptical at first, but was convinced because of what Jesus did (Jesus gave Him a small peek of who He was). We can all most likely relate to one of these guys. Why did they follow Him? Because, as they said in the passage, Jesus is the Rabbi (or teacher), the Messiah, the Son of God, the King, and the Lamb of God. In short, there is no one better to follow. They could have followed flawed, mortal men or their Creator. They chose right. We have the same choice today. Who would you choose: The star athlete who gets injured or one day gets too old to play, the popular kid who will not be popular forever, or the God of the Universe who holds the entire world in his hand? Only God stays on top of His game forever; everything and everyone is temporary. We say we follow God, but who are we really following? Would you pass up on the opportunity to follow God for short term popularity?

As Christians we are to be followers of Jesus Christ above anyone or anything else. We are to be Christ-like. In reality, this looks different than following friends and associates on twitter. We are not just sometimes checking up on what Jesus is doing or simply retweeting what He says. We shape and mold our lives after Him. We want to be just like Him, look just like Him, act just like Him and our goal is to become just like Him.

So When Is It Ok to Follow? When you are following Jesus. Because its not if you follow, its who you follow. And if we all follow someone, why not follow the best there is!

This week’s challenge:

• Do a self-check: Do you care more about following your peers in school, rather than Jesus? Why?
• Take a close look at the people you follow on twitter - what is the general pursuit of the people you follow? Why do you follow them?
• What things are holding you back from following Jesus more closely? What do we need to turn away from in order to focus on Jesus?
• What are some ways you will follow Jesus this week?