And no, we’re not talking about Twitter! We all want people to follow us in real life. Or at least we should. If you’re a parent, a teacher, a boss, an employer, a pastor, a supervisor, a speaker, a politician, a writer, an artist, a coach, or just about anything else, you’re true success, your true impact, depends almost entirely on how others follow you.
And as a Christian, you should be especially interested in getting more people to follow you. As Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Trying to get more people to follow you is what much of leadership is all about. Wanting to lead has nothing to do with pride, even though some leaders have a lot of pride. Christian leadership is nothing more than one beggar showing other beggars where to find bread. If you’re starving and you found food, wouldn’t you want to let the whole world know where to find it also?! What you’re trying to get others to do may actually save their lives!
If we’re following Christ, as Paul said, we should want as many others to follow us as possible. Because you see, it’s not really us we want them to follow. If we’re walking toward God and His kingdom, anyone coming behind us is going to be heading toward Him too. And that’s the whole point.
Getting More Followers
If you want others to follow you as you follow Christ, here are some important things to pay attention to:
- Make sure you’re following Christ. Your own character must be worthy of being followed. That in no way means you must be perfect; far from it! But it should be obvious to others watching you that the longer you’re on the journey, the closer you’re getting to Christ. You’re out in front, letting God transform your character and allowing others to see the process.
- Get over your hang-ups. Again, you aren’t perfect! And you never will be. But if you’re struggling with pornography, anger, prescription pill addiction, lust, greed, or some other besetting sin, deal with it. Get some help. Find someone to be accountable to. Overcome your problem while it’s in the closet, or one day the world will know and many more people will be hurt.
- Don’t be fake. There are exceptions, but people don’t usually follow someone they can’t relate to. Your story of overcoming may be the very thing that draws others to follow you. Be honest enough about your own journey to let others know that you understand where they are. Just be sure your sharing is about helping them and not about tooting your own horn.
- Make your heart a welcoming place. People love to be where they are welcomed, seen, cared about, and respected. If the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is growing in your life other people will want to be around you. Wouldn’t you like to be around someone who was full of love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.?
- Invite them to follow. Jesus never stood at a distance and told people to “shape up.” He invited them to follow Him. They never wondered where He stood on right and wrong, but He didn’t ask them to change before allowing them close. You too can invite people to come on the journey with you. Be open about where you’re headed and that how others can come too.
We do well to live our lives before an audience of One. God’s opinion is the only one that really counts.
But inviting as many others as possible to do the same is where our legacy will make a difference. That’s what the Christian life is really all about.
Your Turn: Do you see others following you? Are you able to say, “Follow me as I follow Christ”? Leave a comment below.
Tweetables: why not share this post?
- Getting more people to follow you as you follow Christ is the essence of the Christian life. Tweet that.
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