Believing in God Isn't Good Enough

There's a difference between believing in Jesus
And following Him
The believing bit is the easy part
Well, the easier part
But the following bit is where I mess up the most
I think we all tend to...

I was thinking about the Israelites in the Old Testament. They thought they were wandering lost for decades. When they got to the promised land, they were pretty convinced they had found what they were looking for. But as we read in the Bible, in the promised land, they got more lost than ever, forgetting God and committing serious evils. Back in the wilderness, they weren't quite as lost. Sure, they had no homeland to call their own. There was no temple, no monarchy, no permanent housing. But they were constantly following where God was leading: a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. No matter how absurd it might have seemed, following God was their only hope for existence.

When we think we've got it made, that's when we've lost it. When we're desperately trying to follow God -- even when direction seems blurry -- that's when we're on the right track. The important bit is following. Not just a passive belief in God's existence, or even in His worthiness to be praised. There's more to faith than that. Following is about knowing Jesus and tailoring our life after how He lived. That's what Christianity is: following Jesus (see Luke 9:23). Following is where the Church gets it right.

On the flipside, following -- rather, refusing to -- is what has caused people to give up on Jesus, too. I've been around long enough to know that people do walk away. From the Church, from community, from a covenant they made to God, from a conviction they once upheld. Seldom does anyone ever really walk away from belief in God. They retain their belief, but cease to follow. Newsflash: not following is walking away from God.

With all the professing Christians in the world, you'd think we would make a bigger impact for justice and goodness. But there's an anomaly somewhere. And I think it lies at the intersection of belief and following. Believers rarely make an impact. Followers are a force to be reckoned with.

It's no big deal to believe in God
The Devil believes in God, for crying out loud
The big deal is following Him.