Are You A Fan Or A Follower?

This question may seem like the same thing but I feel like there is a huge difference between a fan and a follower. Let’s use the example of a famous singer. When I think of a fan I think of someone who goes to concerts when the star is in town, buys a new CD when it comes out, maybe a poster or a t-shirt. A follower is dedicated. They go to every concert no matter the distance, a follower knows every detail about that singer’s life, talks about that person as if they are best friends, not caring if they are not popular anymore or if they do something that is morally wrong. They will follow them to the very end.

Which one am I when it comes to Christ? I would like to say that I'm a follower but if I'm being completely honest, sometimes, I'm just a fan. I go to church on Sunday because I know God will be there and it’s what I'm supposed to do. I listen to Christian music and if it is convenient for me, I will read a couple scriptures, say a prayer and call it my "quiet time."

Being just a fan is not what we have been called to be, we are called to be true followers of Christ. His word tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34). In fact in Luke 9:23 He tells us to pick up our cross daily. Not when we feel like it, or when it's convenient for us. Choosing to follow Him every day, no matter the cost.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Los Angeles for a hair academy. We were all so excited to experience the “LA” life... the weather, atmosphere, the trends and most of all the celebrities. Everywhere we went we were on the prowl to find someone famous. Not having that much luck in finding any celebrities, we went to dinner at a random restaurant. We were chit chatting about what we had done that day when all of a sudden a familiar face walks in with his entire entourage. We were so excited!  We were trying to take his picture and deciding who would be brave enough to approach him. Of course, we all chickened out. Eventually he left the restaurant, the hype wore down and it became just a distant memory. We carried on with the trip as if nothing happened.

I have a huge conviction about this story. Is that how I am about God? Do I get excited to see Him? Do I go looking all around for Him, anticipating that He will show up, only to find that when I see Him, I completely chicken out at really experiencing Him because it’s uncomfortable or it’s not convenient for me. If I do experience Him, does it change my life or does it become just a memory and life goes on as usual? Do I really want to be a true follower of Christ or does it just sound like a good idea? I could live this life being just a fan, but is that enough for me?

The only problem with just being a fan is I completely miss His promise of abundant life.   Being a fan would be the safest way but it would be so boring, routine, and mundane. However, being a follower would be much more exciting! It would be hard and uncomfortable at times but it would all be worth it. With God, you never know what to expect. Even when you think you have Him figured out He does something that blows your mind. His thoughts and His ways are so much bigger than ours are (Isaiah 55:8). 

Carrying that cross and following Him is not easy.  The cross is heavy, we get tired, weary, frustrated so we put it down, not because we do not want to follow Him anymore but because sometimes we need a break, just a chance to catch our breath. In addition, that’s when Satan comes in and kicks our cross to the side. He tempts us, lies to us so we feel better about putting the cross down. It's all part of his scheme, as long as we are not carrying that cross, we aren’t effective. 

I know what you're thinking, Charlyn, you don't know the weight of my cross. You don't know how heavy it really is. The beauty of that is that He knows. We were never meant to carry that cross by ourselves. Cast your worries to Him for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). He knows your cross is heavy, that's why He promises over and over that He will never leave you or forsake you (Deut. 31:6, 8, Josh 1:5, Heb13:5). He will be your strength when you are weak (2Cor 12:10).

You might be like me and want to carry someone else's cross because it looks easier or lighter. Their life looks a lot better than mine does sometimes. However, God gave you your cross because you are the only one that could carry it. Though their cross might look easier, until you carry it you have no idea how heavy it really is. You probably couldn't even handle their cross if you had to.  God asks that you "pick up YOUR cross and follow me" not someone else's burden.

Sometimes we make our cross heavier than it needs to be. We allow our past, our insecurities, and our bad decisions to chain us down. Not only is our cross heavy but we cannot move forward even if we want to. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).  The burden He has given us is light but sometimes we are the ones that make our cross so heavy to bear.

If you are reading this and you have put your cross down to catch your breath, I encourage you to seek God and ask Him to give you the strength to pick it up again. He loves you. He created you to have a relationship with Him so you would not have to do this on your own. There is rest in Him without having to put your cross down. What is so exciting is that at the end, there will be a day where we get to lay our cross at the foot of His throne. Out of breath and sweat dripping down our face we look up at our God and He will say the words "You did it! You have finished the race, well done my good and faithful servant."  And what a glorious day that will be!