Ever play follow the leader growing up?  In that game, the idea is that whatever the leader does and wherever the leader goes, everyone else must do and go.  If the leader skips in a figure-eight pattern, to stay in the game, you have to skip in a figure-eight pattern as well.  So, to participate and win in such a game, you had to die wanting to do things your way and fully surrender to doing them the way the leader did them.  By doing that, you could stay a follower until all the others had disqualified themselves, and by being the best follower, you became the leader.

Every generation has been taught the idea of following at some point or other and in some way or other.  People follow someone no matter who they are.  Some are unwilling to admit it and think they are their own leader.  Sadly, some being followed are not good leaders and are not worthy of trust and surrender.

In all of human history, Jesus was the only leader who was and is truly worthy of being followed loyally and with great trust.

Following Jesus leads me to die to my ways and desires and put all my trust in Him and His ways.  I cannot truly be His disciple without following Him in surrender.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

The idea of taking up a cross here is simple.  It was the way at that time to say, “die to himself.”

Anyone who died on the cross in Jesus’ time was unable to do anything to rescue themselves.  They were suspended with arms outstretched and nailed, feet overlapped and nailed, and there was no way for them to wriggle themselves free.

Jesus is saying any and every disciple of His must die to their own way of doing things to the same level they would do if they were on a cross.  That is why He says, “And follow me.”

When it comes to really experiencing life, real life, eternal powerful life, and spiritual life, one must come to Jesus and learn to follow Him.  No one really experiences the kind of life Jesus speaks of by their own methods and ways.  No one can do anything in and of themselves to get the life Jesus speaks of.  That is why Jesus was very clear and said,

Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

I will never grow beyond the level of my surrender.  The depth of my belief and trust in Jesus determines the level of my surrender.  When I find that it is being challenged in me, I ask the Holy Spirit to help me refresh my awareness of the immeasurable worth of Jesus and my desperate need to follow Him no matter what.

Just like in the game of follow the leader I started with in today’s devotional.  To be a good leader of others, I must first be a good follower of Jesus.  I am no good to anyone else without first being surrendered to Him.  I encourage you today and always to follow Him.