I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

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I can’t remember exactly when I first sang this little song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” but I’m pretty sure that it was around a bonfire with a youth group, probably the last night of youth camp or something like that. We probably sang “Kumbaya” at the same event. You might also identify with a similar experience. 

I’m not making light of these events but I do know that I didn’t fully understand what singing those words meant as I’m afraid is true of many of us in our comfortable Christian culture.

The history of this little song comes from a man in India whose family were the first converts of a Welsh missionary. He refused to denounce his faith as his wife and two children were literally killed in front of him because he refused to denounce his faith. His response was “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.” Given one more chance, with his family lying dead at his feet, he responded, “Though none go with me, still I will follow,” before he too was killed. The story continues that many who witnessed this came to profess Christ as Savior. For a complete account of this story click on the following link:

https://renewaljournal.com/2017/11/29/the-true-story-behind-the-song-i-have-decided-to-follow-jesus/

This story is quite a contrast from youth group bonfires or singing it in our plush churches that we exit to go to Sunday dinners, comfortable homes, our jobs, school, etc. The vast majority of us will never be confronted with the circumstances that birthed this song.

This begs the question, have we really decided to follow Jesus, or have we merely committed to a dogma that placates our ticket to heaven? Do we follow for an hour or two on Sunday only to have it wane as the day and week goes on? What does it mean to be Christ-followers? 

Jesus called some of His disciples to become fishers of men. He taught the crowds to deny themselves and follow Him. At other times He disrupted their comfort zones by telling them to leave their families to follow Him. Sounds harsh, doesn’t it?  I believe what He was telling them was that following Him won’t be easy.

This post has not been easy to write because it confronts me as much as anyone else. I do know that at this stage of my life, I want to follow Jesus, “the cross before me, the world behind me.” I pray that none of us will ever have to make the decision that man had to make. But there are people all over the world who are being persecuted every day for just deciding to follow Jesus. 

May the way we follow Jesus be worthy to truly be called Christ-followers! Pray for one another. Your thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment.

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