Don't Follow - Join!

Are we living life as a follower… or as a participant? There’s a difference. To follow means to come behind, accept direction, comply with what someone else sets in motion. To join means something deeper. To connect. To unite. To become part of the mission.

I was reminded of that distinction years ago when I heard Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly speak at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes dinner. During his talk he shared his faith journey and the loss of his son Hunter. It was raw, powerful, and deeply personal speech.

But the line that stuck with me most was when he said: “Don’t ask people just to follow. Ask them to join.” Jim Kelly explained that people often told him to follow Christ, but he already believed. The real shift came when he understood the invitation wasn’t simply to follow from a distance — it was to join Christ more deeply, to enter into relationship, commitment, and mission.

Our problem is that much of modern life encourages us to be spectators. Think about social media. We literally “follow” people — celebrities, influencers, strangers we’ve never met.

But as the great baseball player Jackie Robinson once said: “Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life.”

Following can easily become passive. I’ve seen this “passive following” with the high school football players I coached. A player can walk into the weight room, look at the workout written on the board, check the box, and say, “I followed the plan.” But only going through the motions doesn’t necessarily make one stronger and it certainly doesn’t make one a better teammate. I want the player who shows up and joins the workout mentally and physically. He pushes, focuses, engages with his teammates — and he improves. Same activity. Two completely different mindsets.

Scripture challenges us to move beyond passive following. One example appears in Mark 10:17–22, the story of the Rich Young Ruler. This man had faithfully kept the commandments. In many ways he was a model believer — someone who followed the rules. But when Jesus asked him to sell his possessions and join the mission, the man walked away grieving. 

Another example appears in the writings of the Apostle Paul. In Romans 15:30, St. Paul writes: “Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” Notice the language. Not “watch me.” Not “follow from afar.” “Join me.” Paul understood that real faith is participatory. It’s relational. It’s shared struggle and shared purpose.

Even the disciples eventually moved from followers to something more. The word disciple means learner or follower. But after Jesus’ resurrection they became apostles — which means “one who is sent.” Followers learn. Joiners go forth.

There’s a phrase from my alma mater, Lafayette College: Cur Non. It’s Latin for “Why not?” The phrase comes from Marquis de Lafayette, the French nobleman who defied his king, bought his own ship, and crossed the Atlantic to join the American cause for freedom. He didn’t sit in France following the news and cheering from the sidelines. He joined the fight. Cur Non.

In Luke 5, when Jesus calls Simon Peter, Peter experiences the miraculous catch of fish and suddenly realizes who Jesus truly is. In that moment he stops seeing Jesus merely as a teacher. He calls Him Lord. Peter didn’t stay in the boat as an observer. He joined the mission.

Leadership expert John Maxwell uses a powerful analogy. A travel agent sells the trip. A tour guide goes on the journey with us. A travel agent points the way. A tour guide joins us along the path. Jesus is the ultimate tour guide. And the invitation of the Gospel isn’t just: “Follow from a distance.” It’s: “Come with Me.”