In Matthew 4:19 Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to follow Him. We know from the Word of God that they answered that call. As a result, their lives would never be the same again. All throughout the gospels, Jesus invited people of every station in life to follow Him. The invitation to follow Christ is still going out today to everyone who hears the gospel.

To follow Him is costly. It requires us to forsake where we are in order to be where He is! We cannot follow Him without being with Him. Our human reasoning and our human wisdom and understanding will often balk at that prospect. We often want the benefits of following Jesus without forsaking the things He calls us to leave behind. Our fleshy nature normally rebels against surrendering to Christ. That can be overcome only if we have the revelation of Who He truly is and what His Kingdom is all about. For what is gained is far greater than what is left behind (Matthew 19: 28-29). Once we see the value of Christ Himself, the cost that is paid is nothing in comparison to what is gained (Matthew 13:45).

To truly be a Christian means that we seek to follow Him with our total being. Following Him is costly, but it is well worth the price!

James W. Black