“Following”
SCRIPTURE
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? —Luke 9:23-25
DEVOTIONAL
From his book, “Following Jesus,” Henri Nouwen describes what it means to follow Jesus. He writes,
To follow means that we do the walking. We are the ones doing the talking, living life, getting involved. We are the ones struggling, the ones who need to work hard. Jesus, in a way, does not take away the difficulties of our journey. I even dare say that, following Jesus means everything changes while everything stays the same. You know very well that followers of Jesus – disciples – are people who live very real human lives. The work of life does not become easier because they are disciples.
Life, as many of us know, can actually become more difficult – more painful – when we choose to follow Jesus. Yet at the same time we gain a certain strength because we no longer live our life or our agony alone. We no longer live our struggle in isolation. We no longer live our pains as if nobody cares. Indeed, following Jesus means walking in his path, taking steps behind the One who shows us the way in our dark, broken, painful world. 1
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- What are the ways that you live out God’s love in your life?
- What is the hardest part of following Jesus for you?
- What role does the Christian Community play in your discipleship?
PRAYER
Lord, I do not ask to remove the distractions, as much as I pray for the strength to focus on you in the midst of the noise. Lead me to the spaces where I can glorify you, where I can deepen my love for you, where I can live into the one you created me to be, as difficult as that may be. And do not leave me orphaned, for I cannot do this alone. Amen.
1 Nouwen, Henri. Following Jesus: Finding Our Way Home in an Age of Anxiety. (New York: Image, 2024), 71.
The daily devotionals for the season of Lent are written by Rev. Dr. Kirk Hall, Associate Pastor of Formation at First Presbyterian Church from 2010-2013. He is currently a founding partner at The Metis Project, LLC. and lives with his wife and two girls in Salisbury, Connecticut.