Follower: The Greatest Leader Followed First

 

If we are to lead, we must first follow.  When we are born we follow, we respond. As we grow up, we alternate and shift more to leading. It starts at two as we individuate and start saying "no!" to everything, noticing it's effect.  At some point later, we lead in various ways, from being a good big brother, to line leader at school to leading friend groups, student council, and maybe leading at a job.  If we are to lead well, we must follow a good leader.  No one magically appears as a great leader without following first.  And no one personifies great leadership like Jesus of Nazareth, the Jesus of the Bible.

At times in the blog I will discuss my views on how we engage in the role of follower.  Nowadays, we all follow a combination of stocks, friends, social media, and countless other influences. I will discuss issues of discipleship, also known as committed following of, Jesus. In this and future posts.  I will explore ideas of following as a reality outside of following Jesus, but ultimately, I want to explore and offer my convictions in a way that is as reasonable and accessible as possible. But just to be clear, I am talking about the Jesus of the Bible, not a white Jesus, not a wimpy Jesus, not a right-winger Jesus, but THE Jesus who, as far as I can tell was someone almost anyone but a self-righteous person could enjoy time with. He collected 12 very diverse followers in his three public years of ministry, including a religio-political zealot, fishermen, a tax man, a doctor, and other colorful characters.  He freely talked to women he wasn't married to (which was a big deal in his time), broke religious rules, and told stories to make a point.  He also wasn't thrown by folks in social power.

Even Jesus had to follow the lead of his Father in heaven. He left his "homeland" as it were, so that he could relate to and lead us.  So Jesus knows about the disruptive, inconvenient nature of leading.  You might say, upon studying Jesus's life, that he followed...hard.  Then he led even harder.  But not in the way we think of hard leadership.  I believe he was hard on himself.  Once in the ministry full time, he pushed his limits, staying up late, getting up early, walking everywhere, teaching constantly.  He followed needs, pain, and all kinds of people as he ministered to them.  He followed so he could serve, relate to, and be well connected to those he led.  This is servant leandership and requires loads of heart, grit, and connection to a higher power.  I find his following and his leadership utterly compelling.  He waited, followed his physical father, learned the trade of carpentry, met the needs of his family, and did no public service for THIRTY years.  For someone who claimed he was all about seeking and saving the lost in the world, he sure waited a long time before getting started and his life was cut short after three years of public ministry. Hmm, curious, wouldn't you say? Did he invest his earnings from the first thirty years of childhood and carpentry so he could "retire" and go in the full time ministry?

As an apprentice (novice) plumber must follow a master to grow in his trade, so too must we follow the master.  The difference is that we will not work on pipe and make money, but if we are to follow or claim to follow Jesus, we will be invited to work with hearts (most importantly our own) and spend our money (and time, and resources) to recruit others to follow Jesus, a "beautiful outlaw" in the words of John Eldredge.

I hope you will return to the maninmanyroles blog for more thoughts on the leading-following connection, in all of your many roles as a man or someone who loves a man.

Please comment: What are your reactions to being a follower?  Who are you following? What do you want more direction/advice on in your role as a follower, whether of Jesus or anyone/anything else?

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