GOAL #1: BE WITH JESUS

It comes as no surprise that Jesus began the formation of his ap­prentices by simply calling them to “come, follow me”—to just walk alongside him on the Way.

He invited Andrew and his friend to merely come and see where he was staying. “So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day” (John 1:39).

In Luke 10:39, we read of an apprentice named Mary “who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”

According to Mark 3:13, Jesus “called” his disciples, and “they came to him.” This would have been a group of dozens or even hundreds of fol­lowers who spent long swaths of time with Jesus. From this larger pool of disciples, Jesus chose 12 for special training so that “they might be with him”.

This is the first and most important goal of apprenticeship to Jesus: to be with him, to spend every waking moment aware of his presence and attentive to his voice. To cultivate a with-ness to Jesus as the baseline of your entire life.

Following Jesus is not a three-step formula, but there is a sequence. It is not a program but a progression.

We will be looking at this progression in today’s devotional and the next two. Here’s the overview: First, you come and be with Jesus; gradually you start to become like him; eventually, it’s like you can’t help it—you begin to do the kinds of things he did in the world.

We see this progression in the stories of the original disciples: They spent months or possibly years just following him around Israel and sitting at his feet. Very slowly they began to change, and even­tually, he “sent them out” to preach (Luke 9:2).

Maybe you’re new to following Jesus and you’re thinking, Where do I even start? You start here, with goal #1: Be with Jesus.

When you think about “cultivating a with-ness to Jesus,” what comes to mind? Would you be willing to stop today for a few minutes at a time, and bring your mind and heart back to Jesus’ presence within you? How could you practically do that?