The Power of Following the Right Example

“You are blessed whenever you follow my example.”

John 13:17 (GW)

Everybody has an example they follow. The question is whose example am I following?

If I don’t decide who my model will be in life, then other people will decide it for me, like the media, culture, friends, or coworkers. People will often try to tell me how to live my life.

But God is the only one who should be telling me how to live my life. And the only perfect example is Jesus Christ.

There are many people who after turning 40, discovered that they had based their life on an inconsistent and ineffective model because they were looking at the wrong example. One could be in, “Climbing the ladder of success, but after reaching the top realize that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall! An investment of time in the wrong thing.” 

Jesus was able to get fishermen to drop their nets and follow him? He had the power to feed more than 5,000 people with a basket of bread and fish. He had the influence to upset the status quo of the whole Roman Empire.

Jesus wasn’t a wimp. He wasn’t a lot of things we don't make him out to be in our minds. He was the most counter-cultural revolutionary you could imagine, who led perfectly with grace and compassion and justice. It takes humility to follow that kind of Savior.

Everywhere Jesus went, he told people to follow him. He never said to follow a principle or a program or even a religion—but a person. He said, “You are blessed whenever you follow my example” (John 13:17 GW). 

Following Jesus involves a relationship. God wants me to know him personally! He sent Jesus so I could know him and love him for exactly who he is—the perfect example for me to follow.

In summary:

Everyone follows an example in life, whether intentionally or by default through influences like culture, media, or peers. But the only perfect and reliable model is Jesus Christ. Many people later realize they’ve spent years chasing success or approval based on flawed examples, only to find themselves unfulfilled. Jesus calls us not to follow a religion or set of rules, but to follow him—a revolutionary leader who embodied grace, justice, and humility. True blessing comes from choosing to follow his example and building a personal relationship with him, the only one truly worthy of leading our lives.