Following at a Distance and a Giveaway
Published August 24, 2009A heart-felt welcome to those of you who have clicked over from the Encouragement for Today devotion I have running at Proverbs 31 and on Crosswalk.com. If you haven’t yet read the devotion, catch up with the rest of us by clicking here.
Well, what is your “following distance”? Do you cling closely by, linger a little bit behind or actually hide in the shadows?
As mentioned in my devotion, following Jesus closely was difficult for me as a new believer. Not only was I young, but I didn’t have a close network of Christian friends nearby to encourage me or to offer support when I felt my new-found faith challenged. It caused me a lot of heartache and resulted in some regretful choices.
Over the years, I have observed many Christians whom I feel are naturals at following Jesus closely. However, upon more careful investigation, I have discovered that, although it might seem second nature to them to follow closely behind the Lord, they actually can offer tips for all of us that will enable us to cling close too, even in the midst of a worldly culture. Here are some of them:
- Fly the Jesus flag early. A sweet friend who passed away a few years ago from cancer was such a bold witness for Christ to many in her sphere of influence. I often marveled at how comfortable she was speaking of Jesus and giving God the credit for the successes in her life. She didn’t seem to have the same disconnect I often had when talking to those whom I knew didn’t give a hoot about the things of God. When I asked her about this, her simple answer was to “fly the Jesus flag early” in any new relationship I had. The sooner others know where you stand, she said, the less awkward things can get. She assured me that when other knew her convictions, they were more apt to respect her beliefs and it helped avoid many touchy situations. She suggested that we naturally weave our belief in and love for God into our early conversations with others. Good advice!
- Keep proper perspective when it comes to the fear of God and the fear of man. My 14 year-old son Mitchell’s entire church camp theme this summer was on this very topic. Their guest speaker challenged the teens to care more about God and what He thought of their decisions in social situations than they did of their peers and and their opinions of them. Ten, twenty or even fifty years from now it will not matter what others thought of us. However, God’s opinion of us will be important throughout eternity!!! And I have found, thanks to the tool that is the Internet, that even though in high school it seemed others ridiculed my faith in God, 25+ years later, classmates have come forward and told me that they remember my faith in God and they actually respected me for it.
Here are some verses that challenge us in this area of fearing God and not man:
- For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. I Chronicles 16:25
- Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. Psalm 66:16
- A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. Proverbs 14:16
- Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25
- The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6
- Next, remember two are better than one. Find at least one close friend who too desires to follow hard after Jesus. They can provide the moral support to make good choices. It isn’t just a clever saying that there is strength in numbers, it is biblical!
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
- Ask God for boldness, courage and strength. James 4:2b says, “You do not have, because you do not ask God.” It seems simple, but often we don’t think to go to God and ask Him for what we know we cannot do on our own. When He grants it, it will be so evident that it is from Him that He alone will get the credit. Be bold. Beg God!
Well, what about you? Do you find it easy or challenging to follow closely behind Jesus? What can tempt a Christian to pursue Him from a distance? Any tips for being bold, but respectful in our walk with God? We’d love to hear from you!
And….you just might win a way cool prize that will help you follow God more closely!
One fortunate gal will be chosen from among those who leave a comment to win a Bible study basket-in-a-box complete with a journal, pretty pen, some flavored teas, notecards for recording verses to memorize and a copy of Proverbs 31 president Lysa TerKeurst’s new book Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.
Comments please?
May we all be faithful followers……
53 Responses to Following at a Distance and a Giveaway
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My Family
Thank you for such a wonderful reminder to boldly follow Jesus! Sometimes I think that we get stuck in a rut and become lukewarm and stand in the shadows. Thank you also for your honesty and willingness to share your life with all of us! God bless you!
Being a naturally quiet girl, it is hard for me to be vocally bold for Christ but I love to play praise and worship music loud, and I try to be compassionate to those I meet. Thank you so much for the scripture verses to help me to remember to share Christ with others, it brings rewards in heaven that far outweigh the discomfort we feel here which only lasts for a short time.
Thank you, and God Bless You!
Thanks you so much, Karen, for listening to God. I laid awake last night thinking about this very thing! I know this is a direct answer to my prayer. I have a very busy life, like evryine else, and even though I try, I seem to have lost that closeness with the lord I used to have. I am excited to be able to put these ides into practice, starting today!! Yay God!!
I am so grateful that God answers prayer. This is my first morning of creating the habit and disciplining myself to rise early and spend my morning with God. What a wonderful devotional to start this ritual with.
My reason for being up before the sun is to grow closer to God. To pray for courage to be bold. To worship and walk closer with Him. To be obedient to Him.
Karen thank you for answering the Lord’s call and affecting my life this morning. I especially cling to the wisdom of flying the Jesus flag early. What a wonderful insight that is.
Be blessed dear sister.
Hi Karen
I remember when God first came into my life, I wanted
the world to know Him. I went out and bought anything
from Christan C.D.s, books, crosses, bible verse cards,
stickers and gave them away. I didn’t care what people
thought or about the ones that rejected me. Now I find
I worry that people will ask me things that I can’t answer
and so in turn they won’t believe Jesus exists.
I realize that I often follow Chirst from a distance. I tried to figure out why that is-I think it’s a lack of confidence. I think I’m afraid that I won’t have the answers-the right answers- if people are asking questions and then I will make people of faith look bad. My other friends seem so eloquent when talking to others about their faith. Thank you for the devotion and the verses of encouragement!
Karen, this devotional came at a perfect time. My 13 year old son starts 7th grade today. He feels that he is one of the only Christian boys with “strict” parents – we call them morals and respect! I am going to try to work into a conversation with him that his friends opinions do not matter and will not matter, as you said in 10, 20 or 50 years from now. We answer to one God alone! Thank you.
This has been a recurring theme in my life lately. We must obey God and instead of people. God keeps bringing it to my attention. Isn’t he just like that? I Thes. 2:4 “we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel…” I don’t want to throw that away. I must obey God first and please Him. He wants us to know Him and He wants me to share Him with others. It may be scary, but it can be done. The more you do something, the easier it gets.
Yesterday our pastor spoke of speaking boldly. Last night in my small group, it was the same topic. And now today I read it in your blog. Often it is difficult to speak boldly. There have been times in the last week in which I wished I had responded but didn’t. Yesterday I agreed to lead the women’s fall Bible study. Doubt has filled my mind, but today your blog gave me some much needed encouragement. Thank you for sharing.
Karen,
Thank you for your devotion today. Just yesterday my Pastor’s sermon was based on 1 Peter 3:15. “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” God has shown His love to my family in so many ways over the last 3 years. God has filled me with His love and I want to share His love. I know I don’t always know the right answers. But, if I show the hope that I have in Him and His love I will be a good witness for Him.
Have a blessed day!
I think I tend to be more of a distance follower. I want to boldly follow Christ, but keep stumbling. At times, I think I’m doing better only to fall back into the same rut again – sometimes within minutes. I think that’s why I can relate so much to Jennifer Knapp’s song “Say Won’t You Say.” Thank you for your encouraging devotion!
Karen,
Thank you for sharing. This has been on my mind a lot lately. I have no problem at all sharing with kids, or their parents within a Sunday School setting. However, getting into an individual conversation with an adult leads to a very tense me. My pastor talked about this very thing at church yesterday. I love when God uses several seemingly unrelated things to drive home a point to me. Isn’t he awesome?!
Good Morning,
What a great encouragement this morning. I know for me, boldly, can mean just saying his name, Jesus, out loud. I think we can be bold in our walk by the way we treat others, especially the poor, the outcasts and the lonely. And if we can give an answer, Jesus, when asked why we do what we do! I do like the thought of flying the Jesus flag early. That is my take away thought/action for this morning. Thanks for sharing!
Karen – How timely this devotion was for me? I am currently in a stage of my walk where I am learning to lean on Him completely instead of those around me. I definitely have been a distance follower, but long to change that so that everyone around me knows who’s I am
Thanks for the scripture reminders.
In Him,
Amy
Thank you for your devotion today. I have been concerned about my granddaughter starting high school and praying she will be a good witness. I know our young people have so much peer pressure to deal with. I plan to share with her the idea of flying the Jesus flag early and the scripture ref you listed. Thanks again and God Bless
Thank you Karen for your words. I also realized that I’m a distance follower. And of course I’m not proud of myself, on the contrary reading your words I feel ashamed. I truly wish to be close to Jesus, but really I don’t know how. Perhaps I don’t have people around me who help me, I wish I have, although this is not an excuse.
Thanks for reminding me this scripture.
God bless you!
Araceli.
I’d have to say that most times I follow God at a distance, even though I do not want to. And the sad thing is that I am an adult, but I guess it shows that even a believer of 14 years can still have trouble being bold for God in this fallen world. One thing that can tempt a believer to follow at a distance is the decision to put your career above God. For me, being young in my career, I want to be respected and fear that any mention of God may hurt that. But I’ve made the decision today to be real in my faith in my workplace. He put me here for a reason and I have to seek him and his will. I know then I will be happy and contented no matter what my coworkers think of me because I will be in God’s will. Thank you for your encouragement.
I love God’s timing!!! Only He would have known that this devotion would run the day after so many pastor’s preached on the same topic!
Thank you for your post and devotional. I am taking an active role in coming back to witness for Christ. I was baptized years ago, however I allowed life to get in the way of my beliefs, praying and living for God. Thank you for the reminder!
When I reflect back to High School ( which was a private religious school) there was one girl who was grounded strong in her faith and was mocked. We were friendly but not friends and I am curious to know if others admire her now for her strong faith. I will have to follow up. A friend with similar Christian beliefs is wonderful to call up in moments and lean on in good and bad.
Thanks Karen for your timely post. I sometimes find it easy to speak up for and follow closely to Christ. Then life gets busy, things happen and I find myself further away. I think when I study his word daily I find myself drawn closer to God.
I have been flowing Jesus all my life from behind a tree.My family are believers from way behind. I feel like I have to stay away from them to have a better closeness with Christ. I don’t know anyone who I can call on and talk to. I am all alone. Thank you for being so honest.
I am blessed to live in a community of believers. But sometimes complacency sets in and I don’t make an extra effort to include God in my conversations or daily activities. Perhaps similar to the “rut” or “lukewarmness” others have commented on. Thank you for your encouragement and reminder for me to share with others about my relationship with Christ.
Thank you so much for this devotional this morning. I have been a Christian for a long time and I still feel myself falling in this area at times. I have alot of non-Christian friends and I believe this is part of my ministry to show them the love of Christ. I would like prayer to always stand strong for my Lord and never to shrink back, to be bold for him and put him first always in my life.
The Lord is so good…as He brings words and people into our lives just as we need them. I’ve been dealing with the ‘living in the shadow’ in many facets of my life…from personal to the spiritual perspective – Over the past few days the Lord has brought this to my attention and I feel He is asking me to step out of all the shadows -in faith – and allow Him to lead the way. The devotional from P31 today was just another arrow pointing me to step out and stand up and speak out for my Lord and my family.
Good morning!
I find that in a college/academia environment, for me, what holds me back is that I don’t want to come across as an in-your-face Christian. People are turned away by that. My suggestion would be to ask God for moments where you can share your faith openly and honestly…asking Him for the words to speak. He will provide those opportunities, and you won’t need to worry about people being afraid to talk to you..they will recognize your honesty for what it is. Prayerfully you have planted a seed!
Thanks, Karen, for the great reminder to be a bolder witness for Jesus! And that He is compassionate and gives us the help we need to follow Him. I’ve been praying that He open hearts to hear His Word when I go to an upcoming reunion soon. I want to share Him and His words with others, by His grace and strength.
Thank you for your timely devotional. As usual you ladies at P31 speak volumes to my heart…, I guess I should say, God once again uses what you say to speak to me.
I’m going to use your encouragment and advice as I walk myself over to my new neighbors and welcome them to the neighborhood today. Have a great day!
Melissa–
Thanks for your comment. I am on my way to run errands and will pray all goes well with the new neighbors. Fly that Jesus flag!!!!!
This is a great message for me today. Again and again I face situations that I know is not right but yet fear steps in and holds meback from speaking my mind. I know prayer will help and faith that God is behind me in all that I do. Thank you for P31 and daily devotions. I look forward to this each and every day.
Thank you for this timely encouragement! I know many people who walk very boldly with God and have wished I could do the same. Thank you for reminding us to put aside our fear of wordly rebuke and to put our trust in God. I pray that He will give me the words and the boldness to stand up for Him!
This post meant a lot to me. God definitely used it to conflict me; I know for sure there are changes I need to make. I’m a christian who has become too comfortable the way things are. I’m a follower of Jesus, but I’m following and falling too far behind Him. It doesn’t matter what others think of me; it truly only matters what HE thinks of me! Wow, I want to be called a ‘good and faithful servant’; not a ‘follower’. Thanks for the reminder and being used by God to speak to many hearts through this post!
What a wonderful message for today. Sadly, I find myself like Peter following at a distance. I find I am afraid to offend others by speaking of my faith and belief. I grew up as the sterotypical “Pentecostal”girl that everyone made fun of. While my church denomination changed as I grew older, my love for Christ did not. However, I still find myself remembering those early feelings of nonacceptance, so I remian quiet.
Thank you for the reminder that the only one who matters is HIM.
You know, don’t we all find it easy to follow Christ closely when we need him? And likewise the opposite. When life seems to be going just as planned, our distance seems to drift farther and farther away from the Maker who allowed the smooth sailing. I pray that God will help me remain faithful in good times and in bad and to always be a bold, bright light for Him! Thank you for the encouragment to stand strong and hold on!
Thank you for your devotion today! I became a Christian when I was little. Most of my life growing up I was a witness for Him in actions only, but not necessarily in words. (I was definitely seen as a “good Bible study girl” but didn’t really share my faith) When I went on a mission trip in college and was trained in HOW to share my faith, it became my heart’s cry to reach the lost. I started to see it’s not so hard. But I still need reminders like this – especially when it comes to sharing with people that are close (friends, relatives – people who could turn their backs on you and it would hurt.) Thanks for this reminder to live grace-fully bold!
I hear often Proverbs 31 tell encouraging stories on my local radio station… Recently I decided to subscribe to the daily devotion… I am 33, married with 5 children…. So much to tell of my testimony…. I am truly touched by the words you have shared today. I desire to be so close to God…. But actually I feel He is the only one to bring me where I need to be in my life. It was not easy to get here and a true daily struggle. I am happy to say in faith the devil loses every day! I so appreciate the daily devotions. It is one more encouragement in my daily walk to be closer and walk boldly.
Our Bible Study group has read several of Lysa’s books and is nearly finished with the most recent one. The topic of HOW to do devotions or to worship in our own time is something that we’ve discussed again and again. I would love to read this book!
Karen,
I am new to Proverbs 31 Ministries. My first exposure was attending She Speaks 2009. What a blessing! God met me there as He did so many others. This devotional is the first I’ve received from the ministry after signing up at the conference. Thank you for challenging me to look once again at my heart.
After a long period of estrangement from my Lord and His church, I returned home Christmas Eve 1995. In the time since, I’ve committed myself to personal Bible study and seeking the Lord as well as involvement in my local church. Yet, my desire to be a bold witness stalls time and time again.
The first discouragement I received was from within my own church family. I walked away from so many get-togethers wondering why everyone would rather share tidbids of this world’s culture when we could be sharing Jesus! God spoke to my heart on this attitude. He told me, “Karen, YOU be the Christian you want to see others be!” By His grace, I’m trying to follow His command.
I do “fly the flag of Jesus” early, but I find that although people I associate with know I am a believer, I can’t seem to figure out how to take that bold step of sharing the gospel!
I would love to read Lysa’s book. Maybe she has some insight into how this “good Bible study girl” might become a bolder witness.
Thank you for your willingness to be used by God. Oh, if we could only all learn from Peter’s mistakes and come boldly to the throne like he did in his later years!! I, too, find it difficult to always be ready to give an answer and hesitate for many of the same reasons. It is encouraging to know we are not alone in our pursuits to be more bold for Christ and that He has the strength to make that desire a reality in our lives! TO HIM be the GLORY! Thanks again and God bless you for your time with this ministry.
My pastor preached on these very verses from Matthew yesterday! Being bold for Christ or following at a distance? It’s pretty easy to follow Christ closely when I’m around others who are doing the same. We’re like a “band of fellow travelers” who encourage each other in Christ. But am I able to step out and take the lead when others aren’t following so closely – or following at all? Standing out from the crowd – being identified with Jesus – is risky and sometimes comes with persecution. Oh, Lord, how I pray to always stand up and be identified with you, no matter the cost!
Thank you for this good Word today, Karen. I pray that all of us can boldly follow Jesus right at the hem of His robe.
Thank you for this gentle reminder to put my relationship with the Lord before anyone else. I am often nervous about making others uncomfortable and worry too much about how I’m viewed by others. It is not in my nature to be bold but as all things are possible with God, I will ask Him to make me bold for Him!!
This is the 2nd time this week that I have read or heard something about being bold and there are several challenges in my life right now where boldness is an option. The sharpest thing that hit me was that I should worry about what God thinks, not anyone else. This thought will help with those challenges. Thank you!
I’ve only recently joined your site and truly look forward to your thoughts and ideas regarding Christian life!! I’ll be 57 yrs. young next month and boldness comes easy at this age.
I have many people who, when in difficult situations, call on me to pray for them so I’m known as a Christian but I realize that my Christian life is lived in a casual way. I don’t stand on street corners and profess my faith, but thru GOD’s wonderful timing and gentle guidance I’ve been able to give some comfort to others. We are all GOD’s vessels, just like the Christian song that says we are clay that GOD molds, each in our own way and in HIS time we grow and change to help HIM in this loving but challenging walk thru life.
Thank you Karen for being one of GOD’s blessings in each of our lives!!
I read this devotion this morning. (Later than posted, I know) I knew right away it spoke directly to me. I do not speak boldy to my extended family b/c of the judgment they cast upon me. Nothing compared the the judgment Jesus bore on my behalf! And then God (ever so gently) placed in my mind other circumstances in my life that I realized I do hang back like Peter, much more than I ever thought. It was painful to really admit the truth. I’m bold when with like minded folks and as timid as a mouse when unsure. I spent my morning walk this morning praying for confidence and boldness. It’s not like He’s going to leave me hanging out there all on my own. I like the idea of flying my flag early. I admire the zeal of Paul and Peter’s change to prominent and BOLD leader of the early church. I’m praying God will change me just as He did Peter!
I think that the key to sharing Christ with boldness has a lot to do with being personally in love with God’s Word. His Word is what should shape our attitudes and thoughts. I think that if we loved and really read God’s Word… and did what it says, we would naturally “fly the Jesus flag early”. God has been showing me a lot lately that to be a light, my life has to be different than darkness. In Isaiah chapter 5, we find what happens when we do not listen to God’s instruction. Basically, it sounds a whole lot like our culture today- mixing up good and evil. If we want Jesus to be seen in us, we have to be grounded in his truth.
I am really learning to open up and let God into my life. He has always been there just intermittently and more of a back burner thought. But a lot of recent happenings just can’t be explained away anymore as coincidence, least not to me, I really believe what HAS been going on is a direct result of letting Him in. However it IS still all so new to me and daily I wonder “am I doing this right” but I suppose with anything new we attempt in life, even a walk with Jesus, we will wonder if we are doing it right.
After receiving some trying news on Sunday in relation to a life event for me, I was just too tired to feel like cooking… So I stopped to grab a salad at McDonalds and read and journal in my book The Purpose Driven Life. I was pleasantly shocked that I was hearing Christian music playing over the speaker system.
I just stopped and listened for a bit, shocked but pleasantly surprised. Now I must say just months ago I would have said ‘hey that’s pretty cool’ and left it at that. But not this time… this time I felt a strong compelling need to tell the manager how awesome I thought it was.
I stopped at the counter and ask to speak to the manager, much to the horror on the workers faces, even after assuring them it was nothing bad. Finally the manager comes up front; I introduced myself, and said “in today’s world where God is so taboo to speak of, I want to applaud you for stepping out for Jesus and playing such wonderful Christian music in your establishment!” I don’t think he was quite sure how to take me or what I was saying, but no matter, I felt he needed to know it was a wonderful thing.
Thanks for the reminder…it’s easy some days to get sidetracked..by junk!
Thanks Karen for the reminder to follow closely…I love when I’m walking with Jesus, or right behind Him. Sometimes it’s not that I’m avoiding him, I just get out in front…a bad place to be. Blessings!
This devotional was directed straight at me. I have been a Christian for many years but it has been lately that I have been convicted that I am not doing all I could for the Lord. I was running and hiding but not I have moved to walking behind at a distance. I look forward to stepping to the work Christ called all Christian to do. Thank you for sharing and following your calling in Christ.
Okay ladies….keep the comments coming. The winner of the Bible study basket-in-a-box will be chosen Wednesday or Thursday. Have a Jesus filled rest of the week!!!
Nice post Karen. It definitely is giving me something to think about. I do fly that Jesus flag proudly, but I’m kinda hung up on the friend point you made. Support is so important and I liked your “two is better than one”, but it’s hard to find that someone with everyone’s busy schedules. My Christian friends always seem so busy with their families or work. It’s hard to find someone that has the same time to read, reflect, and share as I do. But I will continue to ask in prayer. I do love all you Proverbs 31 women and get such encouragement from your devotions and blogs. I’m grateful you all share so much. Lysa’s book would be great, thanks for the chance to win it!
Dear Karen,
Thank you for this message. Over the years as my relationship with Christ has grown I have come to many conclusions. One conclusion is that many people want to know more about Christ than they let on. For the most part, they have a desire to dig deeper, but even as most devout Christians face, they fear what everyone is going to think. It may seem like they are not listening or are disinterested, but in fact they are taking in every word. I often refer to these people as “closet Christians” just waiting to come out.
Second, I’ve noticed that the more bold I have become for standing up for Christ the more credibility I have with others. Who is going to ask someone for prayer if that person doesn’t stand up for the God they serve? It’s at these times that God is using our “unspoken testimonies” to witness for us on our behalf. In today’s world people are watching more than they are listening.
Confidence is key. When you know God, I mean truly know God, I think it is impossible not to reflect Him in everything you do.
Be blessed,
Melissa
New Jersey
My daughter has inspired me to be much bolder about my faith. She has such a passion for telling others about Christ and living for Him. Her mission this spring was to make sure all the girls in her dance class knew about Jesus, and over the summer she’s been witnessing to our neighbor and her two grown sons. (Did I mention that she’s only five–turning six next week?) Instead of allowing myself to become uncomfortable or even embarrassed, I have chosen to embrace her boldness and encourage her.