Day 1: Who are You Following?
“Who you spend time with is who you will become.” — John C. Maxwell
Scripture: Mark 2:1-12 (NRSV) “1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them.”
Who are you following?
We follow many things in life. Some follow sports teams. Others follow bloggers, the stock market, politicians, or news outlets. Many follow people on Instagram or Facebook. Author John Mark Comer suggests that everyone is following someone—and if you do not choose who to follow, someone will choose for you.
In today’s scripture, many people chose to follow and listen to Jesus. Jesus taught that we are to love God with all we have and love our neighbor as ourselves. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, he made it clear that anyone in need is our neighbor.
Faith In Practice began because people wanted to follow Jesus and take his words seriously. Jesus healed people and sent his disciples out to heal others.
This week about 30 volunteers from the United States and 30 from Guatemala are continuing that healing ministry. Sometimes following Jesus leads to adventures in uncertain places. This year our team is serving again in the Petén region of Guatemala. Instead of the usual 11-hour bus ride, we were able to take a small turboprop plane that brought us here in just 45 minutes!
Many indigenous people in this region have never seen a trained doctor. Over the next four days, we hope to serve more than 1,000 patients. I am confident this will be a week filled with laughter, smiles, compassion, and even tears.
Why? Because we are trying to follow Jesus.
Who are you following?
Prayer: Lord, help me not only to believe in you, but to follow you. Amen.
