“Follow Me”

Have you ever felt a sense of inadequacy? Have you not lived up to your own expectations, much less those of others? I think that most of us have felt something of this nature at some point in our lives.

I recently purchased and read a book entitled, 25 Books Every Christian Should Read. Now, you have to understand this about me. I am without any doubt a “bibliophile.” That means, for the uninitiated, a lover of books. If you walk into my office you will quickly see that. I have well more than a thousand books on my shelves there, and have a few more hundred at home. And over the last ten years I have given away more than 2000 books.

I would say that, over my 44 years as a pastor, and then my 49 years since I first entered college, that I have probably read more than 5000 books. I enjoy reading. But then I bought this book. Again, notice the title: “books every Christian should read.” There is an oughtness to that, indicating that if you haven’t read them all then there is something wrong with you. Your Christian life of study is not complete. In fact, it is inadequate.

I have read five of the twenty-five books mentioned. Read that again. Five out of twenty-five. Seriously. I thought I was pretty well-read. Only 20 percent. That’s not good.

Here’s the problem with that kind of thinking. I should not be seeking to live up to the standards of others. That is legalism, by definition. Rather, I should be seeking to follow Jesus, and His standards. That is true faith.

Jesus said on more than one occasion to many people, “Follow me.” And that should be our one and only goal. Follow Jesus. That by itself is a big task. Not one of us will do it perfectly. But I pray that you will make that your goal in life. Follow Jesus. He will lead you to life. Every other path is a dead-end road.