August 25, 2003 Monday
Following to Fulfill (John 6)

Christians are not simply "followers of Christ"...they are followers of Christ...who carry pure motives. A group of "followers" once crossed the hard seas of Galilee in hard pursuit of tracking down the Lord and they were left standing shocked, after all their hard labor, when they weren't warmly greeted with a "Well done, thou good and faithful servant", but instead they heard, "Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled...ye also have seen me, and believe not." (vs. 26, 36) Many have traveled what they claim to be incredible lengths as a "follower of Christ" and still our Lord would say, "ye also have seen me, and believe not"...they carry out what they claim to be "many wonderful works", crying, "Lord, Lord", and they will still here the Lord's Words, "I never knew you, depart from me". (Mathew 7:22,23) It is a destructive, yet common practice rooted deep within our sinful flesh to seek things which God created for our good in order to carry out our own evil desires, masking them in an array of deception - and we need to remain aware of that reality and constantly examine even our own individual motives for labeling ourselves a "follower of Christ." The next series of thoughts Christ astounded His "followers" with were, "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed." (vs. 27) Not only must we be concerned about "what" we're laboring for, but we must also be concerned about "why" we're laboring. How can I know if I'm a follower of Christ, carrying a pure motive? Jesus instructs us clearly in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself..." True followers of Christ are motivated by nothing more than a great desire to fulfill God's commands, which always revolve around others before self. The "followers" in John 6 were greedily seeking to be filled instead of seeking to fill others, they didn't understand that "the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mathew 20:28) Are you following Him to be filled or are you following to fulfill His will and to fill others?