There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him.
We can know the stories. We can celebrate Christmas and Easter (both of which are actually unbiblical). You can attend church, own a Bible, and even call ourselves Christians. But when Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee and called His first disciples, He did not simply ask them to agree that He existed.
He said, “Follow me.”
“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19
That same invitation is still extended to us today.
Following Jesus is not about earning His love, performing perfectly, or cleaning ourselves up before we come to Him. It begins with receiving the salvation we could never earn. But His invitation does not end at the moment we believe. It is an invitation into a new life—a life of relationship, surrender, transformation, obedience, and daily dependence on Him.
You can read more about my specific beliefs on my Statement of Faith page too.
Following Jesus Begins With the Gospel
Before we can understand what it means to follow Jesus, we must understand why we need Him.
God created us for relationship with Him, but sin separated humanity from a holy God. Every one of us has sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). We could never make ourselves righteous through good behavior, religious activity, or human effort.
But God loved us so deeply that He sent His Son.
Jesus Christ lived the sinless life we could not live. He willingly died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. He took the punishment we deserved so that everyone who repents and places their faith in Him can be forgiven, reconciled to God, and given eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” — John 3:16
Salvation is a gift of grace. We do not work our way into the family of God.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” — Ephesians 2:8–9
We are not saved by good works, but when we are saved, God begins doing a good work within us. A changed life does not purchase salvation; it is the fruit of belonging to Jesus.
Following Jesus Means Repenting and Believing
Jesus began His public ministry with a clear message:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” — Mark 1:15
Repentance is more than feeling sorry or ashamed. It is a change of heart and direction. We turn away from ruling our own lives and turn toward God. We agree with Him about our sin, receive His forgiveness, and allow Him to lead us in a new direction.
Repentance does not mean we will never stumble again. It means we no longer want to make peace with the sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. When the Holy Spirit convicts us, we do not have to hide from God. We can confess, receive His cleansing, and return to Him.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9
The Christian life is not pretending we never fail. It is learning to bring every failure into the light and continually turn back to the One who saves us.
Following Jesus Means Knowing Him Personally
Christianity is not merely a list of rules. It is a relationship with the living Christ.
Jesus did not come only to improve our circumstances or make us more moral. He came to reconcile us to God. Through Him, we are welcomed into a real relationship in which we can know His voice, rest in His love, learn His character, and pour out our hearts to Him.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27
Like every meaningful relationship, closeness with Jesus grows through time spent together. We come to know Him through Scripture, prayer, worship, obedience, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We do not read the Bible merely to gather information. We read it to know the heart of God. We do not pray merely to present a list of requests. We pray because our Father invites us to speak with Him, listen for His leading, and remain close to Him.
Following Jesus Means Surrendering Our Own Way
Jesus never hid the cost of discipleship.
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” — Luke 9:23
To deny ourselves does not mean believing we have no worth. Jesus considered us worth dying for. It means surrendering our right to be the final authority over our lives.
The world tells us to follow our hearts. Jesus calls us to follow Him.
Sometimes His way will challenge our plans, expose our pride, interrupt our comfort, or ask us to release something we desperately want to hold. Following Him may mean forgiving when we would rather remain angry, waiting when we want to run ahead, speaking truth when silence would be easier, or walking away from something He has shown us is not good for us.
Surrender is rarely a one-time moment. It is a daily prayer:
Jesus, this life belongs to You. Lead me today. Help me choose Your will over my own.
Following Jesus Means Obeying Him
Jesus connected love with obedience:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15
Obedience is not how we convince Jesus to love us. We obey because He already loves us, because we trust His character, and because He knows what leads to life.
Our culture may call obedience restrictive, but the commands of God are not meant to steal our joy. They protect us, free us, and teach us how to live as we were created to live.
We will not obey perfectly. That is why we need grace every single day. Yet grace is not permission to deliberately remain unchanged. Grace forgives us, teaches us, strengthens us, and transforms us.
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly.” — Titus 2:11–12
Genuine faith produces a growing desire to please God—not out of terror or empty religious duty, but out of love.
Following Jesus Means Abiding in Him
We cannot live the Christian life through willpower alone. Jesus never intended for us to try.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” — John 15:4
A branch does not strain to manufacture fruit. It remains connected to the vine, and life flows through it.
In the same way, spiritual fruit grows as we remain close to Jesus. He changes our desires, renews our minds, heals wounded places, and teaches us to respond differently than we once did.
The evidence of following Jesus is not a flawless life. It is a life that is being transformed.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” — Galatians 5:22–23
We may not see every change overnight. Some strongholds take time to surrender. Some wounds require deep healing. Some lessons are learned through long seasons of waiting. But as we continue walking with Jesus, there should be growing evidence that He is at work within us.
Following Jesus Means Being Led by the Holy Spirit
Jesus did not leave His followers alone. Everyone who belongs to Christ receives the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, teaches us, convicts us, comforts us, strengthens us, and guides us into truth.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” — Romans 8:14
The Holy Spirit will never lead us in a direction that contradicts the written Word of God. That is one reason knowing Scripture is so important. The more familiar we become with God’s Word and character, the better prepared we are to recognize what agrees with His truth.
Following the Spirit requires sensitivity and obedience. Sometimes He brings a Scripture to mind, checks us before we speak, convicts us to make something right, urges us to pray for someone, or gives us peace about the next faithful step.
We do not always receive the entire map. Often, God gives enough light for the step directly in front of us.
Following Jesus Means Loving People
Jesus said His disciples would be recognizable by their love.
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” — John 13:35
Biblical love is more than warm feelings. It serves. It forgives. It tells the truth with grace. It notices the lonely, protects the vulnerable, feeds the hungry, prays for enemies, and treats people as bearers of God’s image.
Following Jesus will draw us beyond a faith that is focused only on ourselves. He begins teaching us to see people the way He sees them.
That does not mean we never establish healthy boundaries or that love requires us to remain in unsafe situations. Jesus was full of both grace and truth. We can forgive without pretending wrongdoing was acceptable, and we can love someone while wisely limiting their access to our lives.
Following Jesus Means Belonging to His Body
Our relationship with Jesus is personal, but it was never meant to be private or isolated.
God places believers into a spiritual family—the Church. We need other followers of Jesus to encourage us, pray with us, teach us, correct us in love, help carry our burdens, and remind us of truth when we grow weary.
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” — Hebrews 10:24–25
No church is perfect because every church is filled with imperfect people. Yet Christian community is one of God’s gifts to help us grow. Following Jesus includes learning to worship, serve, and mature alongside other believers rather than trying to walk the entire journey alone.
Following Jesus Does Not Promise an Easy Life
Sometimes people come to Jesus believing He will remove every difficulty. Jesus does give peace, hope, purpose, forgiveness, and eternal life—but He was honest that His followers would face trouble.
“In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33
Following Jesus may cost us approval, relationships, opportunities, comfort, or plans we thought were best. We may walk through grief, illness, disappointment, persecution, or long seasons when God seems quiet.
But hardship does not mean He has abandoned us.
Jesus is not only Lord of the mountaintop. He is faithful in the valley, present in the wilderness, and near in the waiting. He uses trials to deepen our roots, refine our faith, and teach us to depend upon Him instead of ourselves.
The promise is not that we will avoid every storm. The promise is that we will never face one alone.
Following Jesus Is Not About Perfection
One of the enemy’s most effective lies is that we have failed too many times to return to God.
Look at the disciples. Peter denied Jesus three times. Thomas doubted. James and John wrestled with pride. The disciples misunderstood, argued, feared, and failed—and Jesus patiently continued teaching and transforming them.
Discipleship is not instant perfection. It is a lifetime of becoming more like Jesus.
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 1:6
When we stumble, we get back up. When we wander, we return. When God reveals an area that needs to change, we surrender it. We keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting that the One who called us is faithful to complete His work in us.
What Does Following Jesus Look Like in Everyday Life?
Following Jesus happens in ordinary moments as much as dramatic ones. It may look like:
- Opening the Bible before opening social media and asking God to speak through His Word.
- Praying honestly instead of pretending everything is fine.
- Obeying what God has already made clear while waiting for direction about what comes next.
- Forgiving someone while still allowing God to heal the wound.
- Turning away from entertainment, habits, relationships, or environments that pull your heart away from Him.
- Making restitution or apologizing when you have hurt someone.
- Serving when no one is watching and no applause is coming.
- Choosing integrity when compromise would be easier.
- Giving generously and caring for people in need.
- Sharing the hope of Jesus with gentleness and love.
- Trusting God in a season you do not understand.
Most days, following Jesus is simply saying yes to Him in the next decision.
How Can I Begin Following Jesus?
You do not have to understand everything before coming to Christ. You come honestly, just as you are.
- Recognize your need for a Savior. Admit that you have sinned and cannot save yourself.
- Believe the gospel. Trust that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for your sins, and that He rose again.
- Repent. Turn from sin and surrender the leadership of your life to Him.
- Receive His grace. Salvation is a gift, not a reward for becoming good enough.
- Confess Jesus as Lord. Place your faith in Him openly and wholeheartedly.
- Begin walking with Him. Read His Word, pray, be baptized, connect with a Bible-believing church, and obey what He teaches you.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” — Romans 10:9
The words of a prayer do not save us; Jesus saves us. But prayer is one way to express sincere repentance and faith.
A Prayer to Begin Following Jesus
Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I know I have sinned and cannot save myself. Please forgive me and cleanse me. I turn away from my old way of living and surrender my life to You. Be my Savior and my Lord. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, teach me Your Word, and help me follow You one day at a time. Thank You for loving me, forgiving me, and giving me new life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If you prayed that prayer sincerely, tell another follower of Jesus. Find a Bible-believing church, begin reading the Gospel of John, and ask God to help you know Him. You do not have to walk this new life alone.
The Invitation Is Still “Follow Me”
Following Jesus is not always easy, but He is worth everything.
He does not merely offer a better version of our old lives. He gives us new life. He meets us in our brokenness, forgives what we could never undo, frees us from what once held us captive, and patiently shapes us into people who reflect His heart.
We will have days of courageous faith and days when all we can do is whisper His name. We will have seasons of clarity and seasons when we must walk by faith, not by sight. Through all of them, Jesus remains faithful.
His invitation is not “Fix yourself and then come.”
It is not “Understand everything and then come.”
It is simply: “Follow Me.”
And the most beautiful part is that we do not follow Him alone or in our own strength. The One who calls us also walks with us, lives within us by His Spirit, and promises never to leave us.
Reflection Questions
- Have you placed your faith in Jesus, or have you only known facts about Him?
- Is there an area of your life you've have resisted surrendering to God?
- What has Jesus already shown you to do that you need to obey?
- Are you regularly abiding in Christ through Scripture and prayer?
- What is one practical way you can follow Jesus more closely today?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for the person reading these words. Draw them close to You and help them see Jesus clearly. For the one who has never surrendered to Christ, soften their heart and give them courage to respond to Your invitation. For the believer who feels distant, weary, ashamed, or uncertain, remind them that Your mercy is new and Your arms are open. Give each reader a hunger for Your Word, sensitivity to Your Holy Spirit, courage to obey, and grace for the next step. Remove every lie that tells them they are too broken, too late, or too far away. Teach all of us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Jesus with wholehearted love. May our lives bear fruit that points others to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
✨ Grace, adventure, and faith along the journey
Sharla – Sharla’s Wanderlust Adventures
Don’t forget — go somewhere new, heal the way God designed, and glorify Him in the journey.
My Challenge to YOU: Go somewhere new, heal the way God designed, and give Him all the glory in all you do.
About Sharla
Hi, I'm Sharla—a veteran, traveler, empty nester, dog mom to Buster, and follower of Jesus. Through Sharla's Wanderlust Adventures, I share faith-filled travel experiences, Christian retreats, natural wellness, Bible studies, and the lessons God teaches me along the journey.
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