We think Jesus wanted us to find ourselves. We think He wanted us to discover ourselves. We think He wanted us to understand ourselves.
But He never asked that. He asked us to follow. Not find. Follow.
This is what we forget. Jesus never asked anyone to find themselves. He asked them to follow Him.
That is different. Finding yourself is not the same as following Jesus.
What Jesus Actually Said
Turn with me to the Gospel of Mark. Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee, and He calls His first disciples:
"Now as Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.' And they immediately left their nets and followed Him."
Mark 1:16-18Follow Me.
Not: Find yourselves. Not: Discover yourselves.
Follow Me.
That is what Jesus said. That is what He asked.
And then there is this, from the Gospel of Luke:
"So He said to another man, 'Follow Me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.'"
Luke 9:59-60Follow Me.
Not: Find yourself first. Not: Discover yourself first.
Follow Me.
There is no self-finding in the Gospel. There is only following.
The Difference That Matters
And then there is this, from the Gospel of John:
"Then Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.'"
John 20:21As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.
Not: As I have found Myself, you find yourselves.
But: As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.
This is the mission. Not self-discovery.Mission. Not finding yourself. Being sent.
And then there is this, from Matthew:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Matthew 11:28-29You will find rest for your souls.
But that is a byproduct. Not the goal. The goal is following. The rest is a result.
This is what we forget. The goal is not finding yourself. The goal is following Jesus.
The Follow That Is Different
So what does this mean for us? It means we are looking for the wrong thing. We are looking for self-discovery. But Jesus asked for following.
Not: Find yourself. Follow Me.
Not: Discover yourself. Obey Me.
Not: Understand yourself. Love Me.
This is the difference. This is what we have forgotten.
Jesus never asked anyone to find themselves. He asked them to follow.
That is different. That is what we need to remember.
Don't look for yourself. Look for Jesus. Follow Him. That's what He asked.
Try This Today
Ask yourself honestly: Am I trying to find myself or follow Jesus? Bring that to Him in prayer. He never asked anyone to find themselves. He asked them to follow.
We think Jesus wanted us to find ourselves. He wanted us to discover ourselves. He wanted us to understand ourselves.
But He never asked that. He asked us to follow.
Finding yourself is not the same as following Jesus.
Follow Him. That's what He asked.
Father, forgive me for trying to find myself. Teach me to follow Jesus instead. He never asked anyone to find themselves. He asked them to follow. In Jesus Name, Amen.
With honesty and hope,
Claire