Introduction: 

Jesus did not merely call people to believe true things about Him. He called them to follow Him — to enter His Kingdom, live under His leadership, and be transformed into the people God intended them to be.

“Follow Me.” — Matthew 4:19

This post lays out a full picture of how Jesus leads: through His Word, His teaching, His authority, His character of love, His example, His voice, and personal fellowship with Him.

It then provides a practical guide to what it means to follow Jesus, why it matters, and how to do it in a repeatable, concrete way—so your life progressively reflects His truth, His character, and His fruit.

What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

To follow Jesus means to submit your life to His leadership:

• • Your thinking,
  • Your priorities,
  • Your decisions,
  • Your relationships,
  • Your money,
  • Your time,
  • Your identity, and
  • Your direction.

Following is not merely learning information about Christ; it is living in alignment with Him.

Following Jesus has three core elements:

• Direction: You intentionally move where He leads, not where impulse or culture pulls.
• Transformation: You learn His ways and are formed into His likeness.
• Obedience: You respond to His words, even when it costs you comfort or reputation.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  — Matthew 16:24

Following Jesus is not about losing your true self. It is about being rescued from counterfeit identities and destructive loops so you can live the life you were created for. You only loose the things you were never intended to have.

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” — John 10:10

Why Is Following Jesus So Important?

Everyone is being formed by something. Jesus calls us to be formed intentionally by truth, love, and life shared with Him.

The stakes are not merely a religious exercise. Following Jesus determines how you interpret reality, how you love others, how you respond to suffering, and what kind of person you become.

Jesus is the only reliable guide to life, truth, and reconciliation with God.

1) Jesus Is The Way, The Truth, And The Life

Jesus does not does not offer a personal perspective, cultural insight, or spiritual philosophy—He reveals reality as it truly is, a spiritual world operating under God’s rule. When Jesus speaks, He is not suggesting a better way to think; He is unveiling how life actually works. That is why His teachings confront us rather than merely encourage us. They expose false assumptions we hold about success, control, identity, and security, replacing them with truth.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”  — John 14:6

Resisting Jesus’ leadership does not merely result in moral failure; it results in misalignment with reality, which inevitably produces confusion and instability. Alignment with Him, however, brings coherence. Life begins to make sense because it is finally ordered around truth rather than self-centered impulse or fear.

2) Self-Direction Quietly Produces Confusion And Loss, Jesus brings us back to Life.

One of the most dangerous illusions Jesus confronts is the belief that we can successfully direct our own lives without consequence. Self-direction rarely looks rebellious at first. It often appears reasonable, responsible, or even virtuous. But Jesus make it clear that that paths that seem right can still lead to destruction because they are built on self-rule rather than God’s rule.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” – Proverbs 14:12

Following Jesus rescues us from this slow, subtle drift. He interrupts patterns of self-centered love—where comfort, control, approval, or advantage quietly become governing values in our life—and He replaces them with trust in God. Without His leadership, people tend to cycle into a spiral of striving, justification, comparison, resentment, and eventual bitterness.

Jesus rescues us from those cycles as soon as we are willing to let Him lead us.

3) Transformation Requires Leadership, Not Willpower

Many people sincerely want to change and become better people. They want peace, patience, self-control, and love. What Jesus exposes is that desire alone is insufficient. Transformation does not occur through moral effort or self-discipline in isolation; it requires submission to a living leader who can reshape the inner life.

Jesus does not merely instruct from a distance—He leads from within. As we submit to His authority, His life begins to form in us. Old patterns lose their grip, not because we tried harder, but because a new governing power has taken root. Without leadership, people oscillate between brief improvement and repeated failure. With Jesus as leader, transformation becomes progressive and durable.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  — 2 Corinthians 5:17

4) Following Jesus Produces Fruit That Confirms Reality

Jesus consistently tied authentic following to observable fruit. This is not about perfection, but about direction and outcome. Over time, what truly governs a life becomes visible—peace or anxiety, humility or defensiveness, love or self-protection, stability or chaos.

The frit of our effort bears witness to the truth even when words cannot. A life submitted to Jesus increasingly produces endurance under pressure, clarity in decision-making, restored relationships, and usefulness to others. A life governed by self—even when outwardly religious—tends to produce strain, division, and exhaustion.

Jesus invites us to observe our outcomes and connect the dots back to our intentions. The fruit of our lives reveals which kingdom is actually ruling.

“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit… Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” – Matthew 7:17, 20

How Jesus Leads Us

Scripture presents multiple, complementary ways Jesus leads His people.

These are not competing options; these modes interact to provide a robust recipe for our growth.

Primary channels:

• • His Word (Scripture and Commands)
  • His Teaching (Kingdom understanding and Wisdom)
  • His Authority (Lordship – Submission and Obedience)
  • His Character (Humility, love, obedience)
  • His Works (Modeling Sacrificial Love in Action)
  • His Voice (Relational guidance by the Spirit, aligned with God’s will, confirming goodness of God)
  • Personal Fellowship (Abiding presence) 

A practical way to remember the interaction is a repeating loop:

Word → Understanding → Perspective → Imitation → Obedience → Fruit → Deeper Hearing (and back again).

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  — John 15:7

How Do You Follow Jesus?

Following Jesus becomes sustainable only when it is built into your daily operating system

• • Your choice of inputs,
  • Your rhythms,
  • Your decision process,
  • Your relationships, and
  • Your response patterns.

The goal is not religious busyness; it is faithful alignment. 

The following are some best practice approaches to follow Jesus:

1) Let His Word Lead You More Strongly Than Your Feelings

Your emotions are very real, but they are often misleading.

Scripture functions as a lamp—exposing hidden hazards and revealing the proper next step.

The habit that changes everything is letting Scripture set the narrative before your feelings set the agenda.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  — Psalm 119:105

Best practices:

• • • Be In God’s Word Daily
      • Establish a non-negotiable bible reading rhythm (even if brief) to stay oriented.
      • Read for obedience: ask, “What would I do differently if I truly believed this?”
      • Write one concrete action you will pursue: turn insight into an appointment or a decision.
    • Memorize a small set of ‘anchor verses’ for recurring temptations or challenges (fear, anger, pride, lust, despair).
      • Here is a reference by topic:  Favorite Verses for Key Topics 
    • Build a foundation of Biblical knowledge
      • How To Read and Interpret the Bible < Bible Project – How to Read The Bible>
      • Key Messages / Themes <Bible Project – Biblical Themes>
      • Gods Nature / Character <Bible Project – Character Of God>
      • Jesus Teachings / Sermon In The Mount < Bible Project – Sermon On the Mount>
      • Old Testament –<Bible Project – Old Testament Book Summaries>
      • New Testament – <Bible Project – New Testament Book Summaries>

2) Learn How Jesus Thinks, Not Just What He Commands

Jesus’ teaching is not merely a list of rules; it is a worldview.

As you absorb His teaching, your perspective changes—what you value changes—and your decisions start to look different.

“Then He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” — Luke 24:45

Best practices:

• Spend sustained time in the Gospels: read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John repeatedly.
• Observe patterns: What does Jesus praise? What does He confront? What does He refuse?
• Replace assumptions: where culture says “self first,” ask what the Kingdom says instead.
• Study in context: avoid extracting verses to support what you already want.

3) Pursue Renewed Thinking and Discernment

Following Jesus requires a renovated mind.

Many people stall because they keep operating with old assumptions—then wonder why they keep getting old results.

Renewal is where truth replaces lies and discernment increases.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  — Romans 12:2

Best practices:

• Name the lie: write the recurring belief that drives your fear, anger, pride, or despair.
• Replace with truth: pair each lie with an explicit Scripture truth and rehearse it daily.
• Watch your inputs: reduce content that trains cynicism, lust, outrage, or envy.
• Ask for counsel: invite mature believers to challenge your blind spots.

4) Imitate His Nature (Character Before Outcomes)

Jesus leads not only with instruction but by example. You can pursue ‘Christian activities’ and still miss His character.

Following means becoming the kind of person who responds the way Jesus responds.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:29

Best practices:

• Practice humility: slow down before defending yourself; ask, “What can I learn here?”
• Practice love in small decisions: choose patience, honesty, generosity, and service when nobody is watching.
• Confess quickly: repentance keeps the channel clear and prevents hardening.
• Measure growth by resemblance to Christ, not by status, platform, or performance.

5) Obey Promptly—Especially Where It Costs

Obedience is the bridge between knowing and becoming. Many people accumulate knowledge and call it maturity. But Scripture treats disobedience as a leadership problem: calling Him ‘Lord’ while keeping control.

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?”  — Luke 6:46

Best practices:

• Act on the next step: do not wait for a complete five-year plan.
• Close partial obedience: identify the one area you keep exempting and bring it under Christ.
• Build accountability: follow-through is easier with structure and support.
• Expect resistance: obedience often collides with comfort, reputation, or control—plan for that friction.

6) Accept the Cross as Part of the Path

Jesus leads through surrender, not self-preservation. The cross is not an accessory; it is the path where the old self loses its grip and true life emerges. This is where self-centered love is confronted and displaced.

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

Best practices:

• Identify self-protection: where do you demand control, comfort, or vindication?
• Practice surrender in prayer: “Lord, not my will—teach me Yours.”
• Reframe trials: treat pressure as formation, not proof that God left you.
• Choose faithfulness over image: follow Jesus when it is costly, not only when it is celebrated.

7) Cultivate A Relationship – Hear His Voice Through the Spirit, Tested by Scripture

Jesus leads His sheep relationally. Over time, the more you obey what you already know, the more clearly you tend to recognize His guidance. However, Scripture remains the objective guardrail.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” –  John 10:27

Best practices:

• Create quiet: reduce noise so conviction is not drowned out by distraction.
• Be Led: Ask Him Questions, Listen for His answer, Write it down
• Test impressions: if a ‘prompting’ contradicts Scripture, it is not from Jesus.
• Look for Christlike outcomes: humility, love, truth, and peace—rather than ego and chaos.
• Practice obedience to small promptings: faithfulness increases sensitivity.

How Can I Tell If I Am Following Jesus?

Use the table below as a self test diagnostic. The goal is not condemnation; it is clarity—so you can identify where alignment is strong and where it needs to deepen.

 

Flow Stage	Not Following Jesus	Following Jesus	Verse
Hear His Word	Scripture is sporadic, optional, or used only in crisis.	Scripture shapes decisions and self-talk; I obey what I read.	Your word is a lamp to my feet – Psalm 119:105
Understand His Teaching	Culture, fear, or self-interest dominates interpretation.	Jesus’ worldview reframes priorities; truth corrects assumptions.	If you abide in My word… you shall know the truth – John 8:31–32
Renewed Mind	Repeated confusion, rationalization, or double-mindedness.	Lies are identified and replaced; discernment increases over time.	Be transformed by the renewing of your mind – Romans 12:2
Imitate His Nature	Defensiveness, pride, comparison, self-protection.	Growing humility, gentleness, love, and repentance.	Learn from Me… for I am gentle and lowly – Matthew 11:29
Obedience	Delayed obedience; negotiated obedience; selective obedience.	Prompt obedience; I serve; I follow through even when costly.	Why do you call Me ‘Lord’ and not do what I say  – Luke 6:46
Bear Fruit	Striving, anxiety, stagnation, recurring relational damage.	Peace, endurance, growing usefulness, and relational repair.	By their fruits you will know them  – Matthew 7:20
Hear His Voice	Spiritual numbness; impulsive ‘guidance’ untethered from Scripture.	Clear conviction and guidance consistent with Scripture.	My sheep hear My voice and follow Me  – John 10:27

Am I Following or Am I Stalled?

Many believers do not stop following Jesus entirely; they stall at a predictable point in the process.

This table helps you locate the stall and take the next faithful step.

 

Stall Point	What It Often Feels Like	Common Symptoms	Likely Root	Next Best Step
Word	“I’m too busy / I’ll start later.”	Low intake; shallow recall; reactive decisions.	Self-directed authority; weak rhythms.	Set a daily minimum;read + apply one action.
Teaching	“I know a lot, but nothing changes.”	Information without transformation.	Hearing without doing.	Study one Gospel section and obey one command immediately.
Renewal	“I keep repeating the same loop.”	Recurring lies; rationalization; confusion.	Unchallenged beliefs driving emotions.	Name the lie;replace with Scripture; Rehearse daily.
Nature	“I’m right; they’re wrong.”	Defensiveness; Pride; Harshness.	Identity rooted in self/ego.	Repent quickly;Practice humility;Reconcile where possible.
Obedience	“I’ll do it when it’s easier.”	Delay; Selective obedience; Avoidance.	Fear of loss; Comfort/control.	Do the costly next step; add accountability.
Fruit	“I don’t see impact.”	Little peace; Little usefulness; Ongoing drift.	Misaligned priorities; Divided focus.	Realign time / money / relationships toward Kingdom priorities.
Voice	“I can’t tell what God wants.”	Noise, distraction; Impulsive decisions.	Weak abiding; Low quiet; Poor testing.	Create quiet; Test with Scripture;Obey the last clear instruction.

“If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine.” — John 7:17 (NKJV)

Where Can I Learn More?

Scripture Study Paths:

• The Call to Follow and Kingdom Living: Matthew 4–7
• Hearing His Voice and Shepherding: John 10
• Love, Humility, and Example: John 13
• Abiding, the Spirit, and Fruit: John 14–17
• New Life, the Spirit-led Walk, and Freedom: Romans 6–8
• Crucified Life and the Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 2–5
• Endurance, Discipline, and Maturity: Hebrews 12

Key Topics to Study:

• Abiding vs striving (John 15:1–8)
• Obedience vs knowledge-only religion (James 1:22–25)
• Renewing the mind (Romans 12:2)
• Putting off the old / putting on the new (Ephesians 4:22–24)
• Walking by the Spirit vs the flesh (Galatians 5:16–26)
• Hearing and following the Shepherd (John 10:1–30)
• Endurance under pressure (Hebrews 12:1–11)

A practical study method:

• Read: one short passage.
• Observe: what does it reveal about Jesus and the Kingdom?
• Apply: one concrete act of obedience.
• Pray: ask for power to do what you saw.
• Review: revisit the same passage across the week until it becomes practice.

Call to Action

Jesus is not merely offering forgiveness; He is offering leadership.

The life you were created for is not found by asking Jesus to endorse your plans. It is found by stepping behind Him—daily—and letting Him lead your mind, your heart, and your decisions.

Start with the next faithful step. Return to the Word. Obey what you already know. Practice humility. Surrender what you’ve kept in your own hands. And keep walking.

Over time, you will look back and realize you did not merely ‘try harder’—you were led into a different kind of life.

“Follow Me.” — Matthew 9:9 (NKJV)