Believing is easy. Following Costs us something.

​There's a story in the bible about Jesus recruiting followers. In the book of Matthew, one of Jesus' followers tells Jesus he needs a couple of days off to tend to his father's funeral.

Jesus refused the request. He told the man, “First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.” (Message version).

Folks not familiar with that story, and maybe even a few who ARE familiar with it, might be thinking Jesus was kind of a control freak. But the truth is, Jesus was a healing freak.

To Jesus, 'follow me' meant that people in world are so badly hurting and so oppressed and so in need of a friendship and love that his followers didn't have an excuse good enough to NOT help him help others.

So no, Jesus wasn't a control freak at all. He was a healing freak. And He was never shy about letting us know He expects us to be healing freaks too.

Andy Stanley says, "becoming a Christian is easy, it won't cost you anything. Following Jesus, though, it will always cost us something."

What Jesus was basically saying to the man in Matthew - you being a Christian does nothing for the people I'm going to go help. You following me, no matter what it costs, now THAT will make a difference.

I've thought about this a lot this week since listening to a sermon last Sunday. I've thought about how easy it is to say "I believe." I can sit in my chair where I'm watching the pastor preach the sermon, in person or online, and say "I believe" and never have to make another move.

Hey, I've professed my faith. I'm a Christian.

But you know what Jesus rarely asked anyone? He rarely asked them what they believed.

Do you know what he was almost always hounding people about? What are you willing to give up in your life so that someone else can have a better life? How willing are you to give up following your pursuits in order to follow my pursuit of bringing life to everyone?

What I've discovered this week, as I casually follow Jesus, I've discovered he's still hounding us. Or at least he's still hounding me. Because all week I've heard him asking me, how willing are you to give up the pursuits in your life to follow my pursuit of bringing life to everyone?

All week I've heard him saying, if you're casually following me, then you're not really following me at all.

And the real victims of that casual approach? It's not Jesus and it's not even me, really. It's the people who desperately need us to give up loving our lives to bring more love to theirs.