Journey With Jesus: 31 Days Devotion From the Gospel of MarkSample

Who or what do you follow?

Everyone is following someone or something. Some follow in the footsteps of people they admire. Some follow fashion brands. Some follow certain philosophies of life. Some follow social media influencers.

Who or what we follow will eventually show in our actions and speech. We dress and speak like the influencers we follow. We make decisions based on the philosophy of life we subscribe to. How about you?

From the actions and decisions of John the Baptist, it is obvious that He was a follower of God. He was a prophet sent by God to urge people to repent and seek forgiveness for their sins (Mark 1:4). John even baptised Jesus in water (Mark 1:9). John’s life is a clear example of how following God can sometimes lead to a tragic end. John was jailed and killed by King Herod for speaking out against the latter’s sin of taking his brother’s wife for himself.

One significant characteristic of a follower of God is the bold decision to live by God’s truth. John chose to stand by the inconvenient truth that King Herod was committing a sin, though it would cost him his life.

Today, Jesus calls us to be representatives of His truth. In a world where lies and the avoidance of truth may be easier alternatives, it takes courage and trust to follow Jesus and persist in His truth.

The Internet and social media flood us with many “truths” about how to live our lives. We are constantly in danger of being swayed by worldly values. We are taught to do whatever we want and that what we feel is right must be right. We are also fed the falsehood that the wealthier we are, the happier we’ll be. The more lies the world throws our way, the more we must understand and stand firm on God’s truth.

Who or what do you follow? Are you aware of the values you hold onto, whether they are of God’s or the world’s? How can you train yourself to be a representative of Jesus’ truth?