What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

Jesus gave people a simple invitation:

“Follow Me.”

Those two words can change your life.

Following Jesus means more than going to church, reading the Bible, or calling yourself a Christian.

It means trusting Jesus enough to let Him lead your life.

Matthew 16:24 (NKJV)
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Following Jesus is not only a decision you make once.

Following Jesus is a daily choice.

Each day we learn to trust Him, obey Him, and take another step in His direction.

What Does Following Jesus Mean?

Following Jesus means allowing Him to lead your life.

You learn from His words. You trust His truth. You obey what He teaches. You turn away from things that pull you away from God.

You learn to love people, forgive, serve, pray, trust God, and live by His Word.

You will not do everything perfectly.

When you fail, return to Jesus and keep walking.

Following Jesus happens one day at a time.

One choice. One act of obedience. One step of faith. One step closer to Jesus.

1. Choose Jesus' Way Over Your Own

We all have plans.

We have desires, opinions, and ideas about how life should go.

But following Jesus means learning to choose His way over ours.

John 14:6 (NKJV)
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Sometimes Jesus' way will be different from the way you would choose.

Your way may feel easier.

His way may require faith.

Your way may feel comfortable.

His way may require change.

Following Jesus means trusting that He knows the right way even when His way is difficult.

A simple prayer can become:

“Jesus, I choose Your way over mine.”

Your next step: Think about one decision you are facing. Ask, “Am I choosing what I want, or what Jesus wants?”

2. Learn From Jesus

A disciple is a learner.

The first disciples walked with Jesus.

They listened to His words.

They watched how He treated people.

They saw how He prayed.

They watched how He obeyed the Father.

Then they learned to live like Him.

Matthew 11:29 (NKJV)
“Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart.”

We learn from Jesus by spending time in God's Word.

Do not read the Bible only to finish a chapter.

Ask:

What is Jesus teaching me?

What does this show me about Him?

What needs to change in my life?

The goal is not simply to know more about Jesus.

The goal is to become more like Jesus.

Related: How to Hear God's Voice Through Scripture

3. Obey What Jesus Says

Following Jesus is more than knowing what He said.

We must put His teaching into practice.

John 14:15 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Obedience is where faith becomes visible.

Following Jesus means forgiving when forgiveness is difficult.

It means choosing truth when compromise would be easier.

It means loving people.

It means resisting temptation.

It means trusting God.

It means doing what is right even when nobody is watching.

We will sometimes fail.

When we do, we do not have to run away from Jesus.

We return to Him and keep walking.

Your next step: Ask, “What has Jesus already shown me that I need to obey?”

4. Walk the Narrow Path

Following Jesus will not always be popular or easy.

Jesus said:

Matthew 7:14 (NKJV)
“Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life.”

Sometimes following Jesus means walking in a different direction from the people around you.

You may have to make choices other people do not understand.

Choose:

Faith over fear.

Forgiveness over bitterness.

Truth over compromise.

Humility over pride.

God's will over your own.

The narrow path may not be the easiest path.

But it is the path where you walk with Jesus.

5. Follow Jesus in Everyday Life

Following Jesus is not only something you do at church.

It changes everyday life.

Follow Jesus in the way you speak.

Follow Him in the way you treat your family.

Follow Him at work.

Follow Him when you spend money.

Follow Him when someone hurts you.

Follow Him when nobody is watching.

Follow Him when you have an important decision to make.

Follow Him when life is easy.

Follow Him when life is hard.

Every ordinary day gives you opportunities to choose Jesus' way.

Your next step: Choose one part of your everyday life and ask, “What would following Jesus look like here?”

6. Take Your Next Step

You do not have to take every step today.

Ask one question:

“What is Jesus asking me to do today?”

Then take that step.

Pray.

Obey.

Forgive.

Trust.

Serve.

Open God's Word.

Help someone else follow Jesus.

Following Jesus happens one day at a time.

One choice.

One act of obedience.

One step of faith.

One step closer to Jesus.

A Simple Path for Following Jesus

If following Jesus feels complicated, remember five simple steps:

FOLLOW — Let Jesus lead.

LEARN — Spend time in His Word.

OBEY — Put His teaching into practice.

WALK — Choose His way each day.

HELP — Help someone else follow Him.

You do not have to become a perfect disciple before taking your next step.

Start where you are.

Follow Jesus today.

Following Jesus Is Biblical Discipleship

A disciple is more than someone who knows about Jesus.

A disciple follows Jesus, learns from Him, obeys His teaching, grows to become more like Him, and helps others follow Him.

Following Jesus is at the heart of biblical discipleship.

If you want to understand discipleship more deeply, continue with:

Biblical Discipleship: What It Means to Follow Jesus and Make Disciples

Following Jesus Eventually Leads to Helping Others

Jesus does not only call us to follow Him for ourselves.

As we grow, He can use us to help someone else follow Him.

You do not need to know everything.

Share what Jesus is teaching you.

Pray with someone.

Open Scripture together.

Encourage each other to obey.

Then help that person learn how to help someone else.

Read next: Why Every Christian Is Called to Make Disciples

Keep Walking With Jesus Every Day

Following Jesus is not only one big decision.

It is made up of daily choices.

Walking the Narrow Path contains 365 numbered devotions designed to help you examine your faith and grow closer to God.

Many devotions begin with one simple word and lead to one important question:

“What is God saying to me?”

The goal is simple:

Read. Think. Pray. Respond. Then take your next step.

🌱 LEARN ABOUT WALKING THE NARROW PATH

Ready to Help Someone Else Follow Jesus?

As you learn to follow Jesus, the next step is helping someone else follow Him.

The Disciple Maker — Disciples Who Make Disciples provides practical help for Christians who want to move from being a disciple to becoming a disciple maker.

🌱 LEARN ABOUT THE DISCIPLE MAKER

Download the Free Printable Guide

Want a simple reminder of what following Jesus looks like?

Download the free What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus? printable guide.

Keep it with your Bible, use it during your quiet time, or share it with someone who wants to begin following Jesus more closely.

🌱 DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDF

Questions About Following Jesus

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Following Jesus means trusting Him enough to let Him lead your life. You learn from Him, obey His teaching, choose His way, and continue walking with Him each day.

Is following Jesus more than believing in Him?

Your article teaches that following Jesus means more than going to church, reading the Bible, or calling yourself a Christian. It involves trusting Jesus enough to let Him lead your life. 

What is a disciple of Jesus?

A disciple is a learner. The first disciples listened to Jesus, watched how He lived, and learned from Him. Christians today learn from Jesus through God's Word and seek to become more like Him. 

Does following Jesus require obedience?

Yes. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Your faith becomes visible as you put His teaching into practice. 

What does walking the narrow path mean?

It means choosing Jesus' way even when that way is difficult or different from the people around you. Your article describes it as choosing faith over fear, forgiveness over bitterness, truth over compromise, humility over pride, and God's will over your own. 

What should I do if I fail while following Jesus?

Return to Jesus and keep walking. Following Him does not mean you will never fail. Your article specifically reminds readers that when we fail, we return to Jesus and continue forward.

How can I follow Jesus today?

Ask one question: “What is Jesus asking me to do today?” Then take that step—pray, obey, forgive, trust, serve, open God's Word, or help someone else follow Him.

Follow Jesus One Step at a Time

You do not have to know everything before you follow Jesus.

You do not have to fix everything today.

Listen to Him.

Learn from Him.

Obey what He teaches you.

Choose His way.

Walk with Him.

Then tomorrow, do it again.

Ask:

“What is Jesus asking me to do today?”

Then take your next step.

One choice. One act of obedience. One step of faith. One step closer to Jesus.

About James Constable

James Constable is a Christian author, pastor, teacher, and disciple maker. His writing helps Christians follow Jesus, grow closer to God, live out His Word, and help others become disciples.