Following God

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”  Matthew 4:18-20 ESV

Jesus asked the disciples to become followers, but a different type of follower from ones that followed other Rabbis.  They were not just asked to follow to absorb teaching, but to actively participate in the ministry of fishing for men.  This required a total change from their normal way of life. (France, 1985)   In the same way, along with learning from God, we are also asked to participate with Him in what He is doing in the world.  He uses our lives to bring change to the world.

They heard Jesus and obeyed.  Often when the Bible tells us to hear something, it means to listen and obey.  Obedience is a response. God has already acted on our behalf, and our response should be to follow his will. In both OT and NT, hearing (שָׁמַע, šāmaʿ, “to hear”; ὑπακούω, hypakouō,”to obey”) often is a call to God’s people to follow him (or his law).  In the NT, Jesus obeys the Father, even to die on a cross (Phil 2:8). Following Jesus’ precedent (Mark 12:28–34), love is the motivation for obedience (e.g., Rom 13:8–10; Jas 2:8). (Gabrielson, 2014)  

Nicole Given, Worship Pastor at Deep Rivers Church, shares her experiences with following God in this video.

We do not serve God out of fear, but out of love.  1 John 4:18 tells us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (ESV)   

“Our wants and longings and desires are at the core of our identity, the wellspring from which our actions and behavior flow.  Our wants reverberate from our heart, the epicenter of the human person.  Thus Scripture counsels, ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it’ (Prov. 4:23).  Discipleship, we might say, is a way to curate (pull together, sift through) your heart, to be attentive to and intentional about what you love.” (Smith, 2016)

Phil. 1:9-11 says, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (ESV)

We seek to know what we love.  Love is a subconscious desire that works without our even thinking about it. (Smith, 2016)   The question is what do you love?  What is your deepest desire?  It is easy to allow culture to corrupt and replace what we love so that our actions and habits push us in a direction away from following God.  Recognition, financial security, possessions, acceptance, and power are all examples of things we can desire that push against trusting and loving God.  We need to constantly check to see what is motivating us, because it is very easy for the world to slip the wrong things into our hearts.  That is where repentance comes in. Is there anything that you long for that has snuck into your heart and changed your behavior?

Col. 3:12-14 tells us, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (ESV)  

Compassion, kindness, and humility are examples of virtues.  Love holds all the virtues together.  Virtues are the good moral habits that are woven into who you are and how you are inclined to act. (Smith, 2016)  “to become virtuous is to internalize the law …so that you follow it more or less automatically.” (Smith, 2016)  People will see the change as we choose to keep our eyes on Christ and follow His ways.

We learn through God’s revelation in His Word, through His Spirit, and through imitation (1 Cor. 11:1), and we change as we incorporate new habits into our lives as we are compelled by love. 

Works Cited

France, R. (1985). Matthew: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 1, p.109). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Gabrielson, T. (2014). Lexham Theological Workbook. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Smith, J. K. (2016). You Are What You Love - The Spiritual Power of Habit. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press.