The Age of the Follow

In our digital era, we live in the age of the "Follow." Every day, our phones buzz with notifications, presenting us with a choice: Who will we give our attention to? Whose life will we track? Whose opinions will we absorb? The world has become a cacophony of voices and feeds, all asking for the same thing: "Follow Me."

We follow politicians, celebrities, influencers, trendsetters, experts, and friends. We fill our feeds with people who entertain us, inform us, or simply make us feel like we're "in the loop." But in this constant scroll of information and personalities, how many of these follows are truly shaping us for good, and how many are just distracting us from the one true Follow that changes everything?

The Emptiness of the Digital Follow

Social media invites us to follow people who often present a curated, edited version of reality. They promise happiness but deliver envy and dissatisfaction. They promise community but often leave us feeling isolated and compared. When we follow a trend, we become a copy. We end up following broken, searching people who not only could but will lead us into a life that isn't all that God intended for us.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many of us were confined to our homes, the world of digital creators exploded. People consumed more YouTube content than ever before. Many of us, seeking connection and purpose, found ourselves diving into new hobbies or skills, learning from various content creators. While this isn't inherently negative, it becomes problematic when these sources become our primary wellspring of truth and philosophy.

The Fullness of the Christ Follow

In contrast to the fleeting satisfaction of digital follows, we are presented with a radical invitation – one that has echoed through history for over two millennia. It's the moment Jesus issues His first call to follow, challenging us to consider: Who gets our primary, unconditional follow?

In Matthew 4:18-22, we witness this transformative moment:

"While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him."

This passage illustrates the profound nature of Jesus' call. He's not asking for a casual follow or a part-time commitment. He's inviting us into a life of true fulfillment and purpose.

What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

1. Imitation: To walk where He walked, to love what He loved, and to speak how He spoke. To be a true disciple.
2. Learning: To continually study His Word and absorb His teaching.
3. Surrender: To give Him authority over our "nets" (our work) and our "boat" (our community and comfort).

Jesus promises, "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:9-10). This abundant life is the result of genuine discipleship – not just knowing Jesus in a single moment or prayer, but following Him over the course of a lifetime.

God Will Use What You Have

When Jesus called the fishermen, He didn't ask them to abandon their skills or expertise. Instead, He promised to repurpose their talents: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." This wasn't a suggestion for a side project; it was a complete re-vocation. Jesus took their talent – catching life from the water – and redeployed it for catching people into eternal life, into the Kingdom of God.

This principle applies to us today. Our passions, skills, and careers – our modern-day "nets and boats" – are not meant to be left empty. They are meant to be re-consecrated to a higher purpose: following Jesus and using our lives to draw others to Him.

The Cost of Following

The fishermen's response to Jesus' call was immediate and radical. They left their nets, their boats, and even their father to follow Him. This represents a profound break, putting their relationship with Jesus above the most sacred ties of family and tradition.

In our context, this hits close to home. To truly follow Jesus means putting Him first and foremost – even above the approval of our social media followers, the trends of our feed, or the comfort of our social circle. When the values of Christ clash with the culture of your feed, who do you mute? When Christ calls you to kindness and service, but your favorite influencers are cynical and self-serving, who gets your time?

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer poignantly stated, "Following Christ means taking certain steps. The first step, which responds to the call, separates the followers from their previous existence. A call to discipleship thus immediately creates a new situation. Staying in the old situation and following Christ mutually exclude each other."

The Time Is Now

The power of the fishermen's story lies in their immediate and radical response: "Immediately they left their nets and followed him." Today, Jesus is walking by your personal Sea of Galilee – your workplace, your home, your social media feed – and issuing the same simple, authoritative, life-altering call: "Come, follow me."

What is the biggest, heaviest thing you need to unfollow today so that you can follow Jesus fully? Is it the approval of people? The pursuit of a fleeting cultural trend? A toxic relationship or a destructive habit?

In a world desperate for followers, we must ensure that the first and foremost follow in our life belongs to Jesus Christ. Let us leave our nets behind, step out of the boat, and walk so closely to our Master that the world sees the "dust of Jesus" on our lives. In doing so, we not only transform our own existence but also invite others to find their ultimate Master to follow.

As we navigate the age of digital follows, let's challenge ourselves to be disciples who are so dedicated to our Rabbi that we seek to have the very "dust of His feet" on us – to walk so close, for so long, that we become exactly like our Teacher. This is the path to true fulfillment, purpose, and the abundant life that Jesus promises.