Followers

They ain’t all they’re cracked up to be.

I happened to glance at my WordPress follower count, and was so excited that I had so many! Yippee!

Out of curiosity, I decided to scan through and see who could be getting updates about my blog posts.

Regular readers, yes.

But also fitness gurus. Health diet advisors. Passive income strategists. Crypto experts.

All trying to get some free “advertising” by being discovered when I scanned through the list. From what I can tell none of you can see who my followers are, so the “advertising” didn’t get too far!

Since I didn’t recognize them as interacting with my posts, I deleted almost 25% of my followers. Each time I was informed that they can re-follow me, but I’m hoping they won’t notice!

They were just in it for what they might get out of it.

That reminds me of a few followers of someone else we all know.

“I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

John 6:58-66 NLT

This happened the day after Jesus had fed 5,000 with a few loaves of bread and some fish. They got physical food, but they couldn’t take the step of faith necessary to become true disciples and followers of Jesus. It was just too much.

May we be true followers of Jesus, walking obediently in his footsteps as his Spirit leads us through our days on earth. One day we will see him face to face, and what a day that will be!

If you already follow my blog, thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting and letting me know when my words have encouraged your heart. I pray that my posts help you to look not to me, but to Jesus. He is the author and finisher of your faith!