“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” ~Mark 8:34
If you are anything like me, you have probably thought about this verse more than once over the years. What did Jesus really mean by following him? What does it truly entail?
Following Jesus means responding to his call every day and believing in the gospel. But it is more than just following and believing; it is also about imitating his example. We need to be asking ourselves these questions: Are we living in a manner that reflects Christ to everyone we encounter? Are we putting the needs of others before our own? Are we being kind and treating our neighbors (and I mean ALL our neighbors) with dignity, respect, and love – acknowledging that they, like us, are made in the image and likeness of God?
Honestly, following Jesus is downright difficult; however, it can be done. During every step of our journey, we must make a conscious effort to follow Jesus through the narrow gate of life into the abyss of the unknown. If we can faithfully do this, we will find peace. Fellow composer and musician John Angotti wrote about this when he quoted Jesus in a song:
“He said to me, ‘Come and follow me.’ He said to me, ‘Come and follow me.’
There you’ll find peace of mind if you just come and follow me.”
And this is what I now ask of you: to make that conscious effort to come and follow me, too. I want to assist you on the journey by providing spiritual and faith-based guidance through my thoughts, writings, and insights. But due to my busy schedule, my blog posts do no appear as often as I would like. Therefore, the best way to keep up with me is to follow me on social media. Hopefully, I can provide you with some peace of mind through my Daily Thoughts, Noonish Nuggets, PM Ponders, and just a little bit of my ‘Deacon Allen’ humor. Here is where you will find me:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeaconAllenT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeaconAllenT/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deaconallent/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deaconallent
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DeaconAllenT
Website: https://www.deaconallen.com
Blog: https://www.deaconallen.com/blog
In the words of author Francis Chan, “We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.”
I would be honored if you would come and follow me. May God bless you on your journey.
Deacon Allen
