Getting Personal

"Follow Me." ~ Mathew 9:9

One of the greatest temptations Christians face is to avert our eyes from the person of Jesus and place them on the things of Jesus – His doctrine, His people, His Word, His mission. This is a great temptation because there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these things. In fact, without serious attention to them we could not be His disciples. They are essential.

The fallacy that trips us up is our focus on these things as objective entities apart from living in fellowship with the person of Jesus. When we focus on the things of Jesus, such as His teaching, it can turn into a sterile, academic pursuit or a legalistic enterprise, sort of like following the law of Moses. It's an objective standard outside of ourselves, but from the mouth of Jesus rather than another lawgiver. Or, if we focus on the mission of Jesus, it can become a personal venture with our own strategic planning. We end up with zeal for a cause, but no fellowship with the Spirit behind the cause.

This is why Jesus doesn't call His disciples by saying "Follow My teachings," or "Follow My example," or "Follow My reasoning." It is always personal. "Follow Me." Too many believers have a sterile faith that emphasizes the impersonal aspects of Jesus. But He will not let us be content with that. He confronts us with Himself, and we do not progress far in our discipleship unless we're focused on a relationship rather than religious pursuits.

As good and instructive as theology and doctrine can be, we must not turn to them as the substance of our faith. They are descriptions of the relationship we have with the living Lord. Jesus is not a system of belief. Daily study and application are not enough. These must be built on daily communication – two-way communication between the disciple and Jesus Himself. If this were not essential, Jesus would not have given us His Spirit to live with us and in us. I’ve learned that no matter where I am in my discipleship I make sure it remains intensely personal.