To follow Jesus is to trust that he is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus wants us to follow him so that we can see for ourselves who he is. The first disciples to follow Jesus are known in the Bible for immediately leaving their boats when Jesus called them.
Following Jesus is a call to a relationship with him. The call to follow Jesus is first and foremost a call to himself. He calls us to know him, to love him. It’s not a call to religion. The two most important things Jesus asked us to do were to love God and to love people. It sounds so simple, and it is – but it’s actually very difficult. Loving God with all my heart, soul and mind means letting go of my way of doing things.
We cannot escape the fact that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. But for most of us, most of the time, the problem isn’t persecution, it’s our own behaviours and choices that keep us from abiding in Christ.
— Eleonor Castro
For me, what Jesus is asking us to do is to follow him, to do good in everything we do, to follow his commandments and to spread his words to everyone!
If we are followers of Jesus Christ it is not difficult to hear his words because through prayer or reading the Bible we can ask the Holy Spirit to open our ears to hear his words and open our minds to understand the words so that we can share them with other people who have not heard his words and show them how to be a really good Christian by faith.
— Elsie Caylan
To follow Jesus is simply to accept by faith God has for us. To follow and obey what he tells us in his Word. Jesus tells us, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This statement of Jesus is sometimes difficult for us to do because we are too attached to this material world and do not want to sacrifice. To follow Jesus, we have to be like children who always listen and follow without question, giving him full authority in our lives because we believe that he knows what is best for us and that what he wants for us is only for our own good. Even a little faith can move mountains. So we should not just talk the faith we have, but walk it, listen and follow His word of guidance and we will never go wrong. For we live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
— Loida T. Gomez
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Jesus wants us to follow him so that we can see for ourselves who he is. God wants us to trust him that he is the way, the truth and the life. Seek God first and all things will follow.
We eat to fill our stomachs, in the same way we need to fill our minds with his presence and stay close to him in every moment.
We may find it difficult to hear God’s word because we do not have a personal relationship with God, instead of asking for everything, we should just tell God how much we love him, praise him for everything he does and has done, thank him for every small and big gift of good in our lives.
We so often feel down, but at the end of the day there is still light and hope.
— Melody Ilejay
Mark 10:17-31 explains Jesus’ answer to a man who asked him what he had to do to inherit the kingdom of heaven. In short, to follow Jesus, apart from obeying the commandments, is for the man to give up everything to follow him.
In the same way, Jesus wants us to do the same, to simply follow the commandments of God. Be always in prayer, for this is our connection with God by talking to him, and also our way of knowing that we are following God’s plan. Seek godly fellowship and serve the oppressed, be compassionate and merciful to humanity, and always remain on the side of truth. It is not difficult to hear the word of Jesus, because it is very simple if we put it in our mind and heart.
— Aracile S. Nacario
His word is not difficult to hear, but difficult to do and apply to our personal life.
Jesus once said, “Take up your cross and follow me”. When I reflect on myself, I admit that I have always failed to follow him. If we want to follow Jesus, the first thing we should do is to forget ourselves, because the reality of this world is that we are nothing, we have nothing but God. It is not easy to follow the steps of Jesus. He forgot himself just to follow the will of his Father. Jesus was obedient enough. He is always ready to help, to sacrifice and to suffer for others. We may not be like Jesus who can do miracles, but we can be like Jesus in other ways. Showing love, humility and compassion to others is one way to follow Jesus.
— Lorna Tuburan
