I recently did a poll on my Instagram asking people what initially came to their mind when I said the word “Following,” the results really weren’t shocking as most people answered with either; following Jesus or following someone on Instagram. Both of these come to my mind as well – but throughout all of the answers, there were more than a few people who said the childhood game follow the leader is what popped into their heads. And man, did I love that… because wow, how simple!

Sometimes I wonder if we make following Jesus more complicated than it ought to be. Not harder, because we all know this thing of dying to self was never intended to be easy… but just more complicated. Why does following Jesus feel so confusing at times – this career or that career, this school or that school, this guy or that guy… our heads can spin, and we can freak out just thinking about these examples. But as I really think about it, freaking out over trying to follow Jesus is not following him at all.

Earlier this week, my friend followed me to a gas station, and the picture of what it looked like to follow was just so kindly clear to me at that moment. I was leading her, she was following me, and this is what the process looked like. I turned left, she turned left, I merged three lanes, she merged three lanes, I stopped, she stopped, I went, she went. No questions asked, no calls asking if I was sure I knew where I was going, no frustration in the process and never did she question if where we were going really did have what she needed, she wasn’t worried, she didn’t need a map drawn out to our final destination, she trusted me to lead her there.

What if our following Jesus looked a more like FOLLOWING JESUS? What if just for a moment we set aside our five-year plans, our expectations of where we should have been by now or where we will be by then, what if we paused for a moment to realize that not all choices are the end of the world, but actually opportunities from our loving Dad to pick what we like… sometimes there’s not a bad choice; there is just a choice.

What if every day I woke up and said, I TRUST YOU, GOD! I trust you! I follow you!

Let’s simplify it back down to the child’s game we mentioned earlier – follow the leader! This way, that way, over here, over there… It’s unpredictable, but when you stop trying to predict everything, it is actually a pretty fun game! And let be the first to say following Jesus CAN be fun too! Nonetheless, hear me here, not easy, NOT EASY, but most definitely fun! I truly cannot think of a more exciting adventure of a life than step by step following Jesus!!!

But here’s the kicker, here’s THE question, here’s your BIGGEST choice… who is your leader, who are you following? Is it you, is it your desires, your ambitions, your feelings? Or is it God… that’s the decision that dictates your forever – and dictates your “for now.” Because you can’t follow two things!

As I write this, my eyes are filled with tears because man do I remember when I was my own leader how lost, how desperate – how dark my life and my heart and my mind were. But my God rescued me! He saved me from me! To know the light of the world literally is LIFE!

I don’t say this as a line or a catching saying but with fire in my heart knowing for sure that someone reading this is who I used to be; there’s no shame here – there’s nothing God can’t redeem, there’s no too far gone, there is no unforgivable when you are washed in the blood of Jesus! Oh son, Oh, daughter, if you only knew how loved you are! Jesus, the perfect son of God, came on a rescue mission just for you beloved, for YOU. He died for you, He rose for you! He wants your heart – for it was made just for Him. Today is THE day to decide to follow Jesus! Today is the day to let Jesus make it right between you and God, I say it again today is the day to let Jesus make it right between you and God! We cannot lead ourselves, we cannot save ourselves! How could we?! We did not even make ourselves!