Who Will You Follow?

Growing up, I heard plenty about the importance of choosing good friends. In my Dad’s eyes, it wasn’t acceptable to hang around with troublemakers, because I would be guilty by association. There was an unspoken challenge…who will you follow?

I remember a day when my sister, her friend, and I were walking together—and my sister decided to hitchhike. When I protested, she called me a baby…a total embarrassment and humiliation. But, my inner thought that I needed to take care of my sister, won out. (Though being called a baby probably factored in there too)

I should have walked away. But, I stayed. I even got into the vehicle with the man who pulled over to pick us up. My stomach was in knots and I’m not sure how brave my sister was feeling either. You see, the man driving the car was her Sunday School teacher. And, you guessed it—as any responsible adult should do; he called our parents.

When we arrived home, no amount of excuses or explanations worked. We were both guilty and grounded for what seemed like an eternity. I was guilty by association, a partner in crime, all because I followed the wrong way.

Growing up, I heard plenty about the importance of #ChoosingGoodFriends. There was an unspoken challenge for us... #WhoWillYouFollow? Share on X

So, Who Are You Following?

Following people is a huge part of our society today. We follow friends on social media. We follow stars, musicians, athletes, activists, authors, and public figures. We follow their posts and eat up their news until we begin thinking like them. In some cases, their words, ideas, and trends become something we emulate.

Do you know who is in the top five for social media followers for 2025?

I must say the list surprised me. According to an online search, they are:

Cristiano Ronaldo – Portuguese and Saudi soccer player – 1 billion followers

Selena Gomez – actress & singer – 686.5 million followers

Justin Bieber – singer – 596.1 million followers

Taylor Swift – singer – 549.8 million followers

Ariana Grande – singer/songwriter & actress – 511.3 million followers

I’m not saying it’s wrong to have favorites, but I hope to bring some perspective.

Who Should We Follow?

Jesus said that unless we are one of His followers, whether we realize it or not, we follow the devil. I know that may sound harsh…but His word says:

…don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4).

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister (1 John 3:10).

We may offer explanations and excuses, but the bottom line is that unless we follow Jesus, we are lost—going the wrong way. And we are without excuse. We are guilty by association.

Guilty of unbelief.

Does this sound exclusionary to you? Not fair? Narrow-minded? Our enemy wants us to believe this. But I can assure you it’s not exclusionary at all. God’s way is open to all people – Every nation, tribe, tongue, and skin color.

2 Peter 3:9 and Matthew 18:14 say that God doesn’t want anyone to perish but all to come to faith in Christ. But we do have to choose.

According to 2025 statistics, there are an estimated 2.38 billion Christ-followers in the world. About 31.2% of the population. A little over twice as many as those who follow a soccer player. I had to let that sink in a little bit.

Again, it isn’t wrong to follow others who are making a difference in the world, but I’d like to make the case that we need to be a Christ-follower first…because it may affect who we choose to follow.

It isn't wrong to #FollowOthers, but we need to be a #Christ-follower first...because it may affect who we choose to follow. Share on X

Our Choice to Follow

Until we follow the only one who matters—Jesus—our hearts will be hardened, our vision blurred, and our understanding skewed. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot perceive the truth. Yet, God continues to pursue us because He wants us to belong to Him.

When Jesus gives us life, it brings spiritual insight so we can choose the right way for the right reasons. When our heart is aligned with His, the reasons we follow others will align as well.

Following Jesus is the best decision I have ever made. But, He gives us the choice.

Receive His love, or not.

Receive His forgiveness, or not.

Receive eternal life, or not.

Follow Him, or not.

I’m glad I said yes to Him.

So, who will you follow? So much depends on that decision. And know that God will continue to seek after you – to show His love for you.

If you know Jesus, rejoice! If you aren’t sure, I’m praying for your heart to hear what you might be missing,

Jeanne

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