When He Walks Ahead

A Day in the Life

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” — Matthew 16:24

There is something in me that prefers a manageable Jesus—One who blesses my plans, affirms my direction, and adjusts Himself to my schedule. Yet when I read Matthew 16:24 slowly, I realize how backward that instinct is. Jesus does not say, “Invite Me into your life so I can support your agenda.” He says, “Come after Me.” The Greek word for follow, akoloutheō, means to walk behind, to accompany as a disciple. He walks ahead. I walk behind.

I have often taken comfort in Matthew 28:20—“I am with you always.” And rightly so. But I must not twist that promise into the assumption that Jesus trails behind me wherever I wander. He is present, yes. Faithful, yes. But He is not my assistant. As He said in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” The initiative belongs to Him. The direction belongs to Him. The mission belongs to Him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” That is not sentimental language. It reflects the cross Jesus mentions. To deny myself is not self-hatred; it is surrender. It is the daily relinquishing of control. It is saying, “Lord, my preferences do not outrank Your purposes.” That denial may involve letting go of pride, comfort, reputation, or even deeply held expectations. The cross is not an ornament; it is an instrument of death to self-rule.

Following Jesus will lead me into places I would never script for myself. I will stand with Him as He weeps over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). I will feel His compassion for the crowd described in Matthew 9:36, “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Following Him means sharing His heart. That can be joyful beyond measure—seeing the spiritually blind begin to see, watching broken lives mended by grace. There is nothing like witnessing the Spirit restore a marriage or free someone from bondage. It is like standing on a mountaintop with the wind of heaven against your face.

But following Him can also mean storms. The same Jesus who multiplied bread also led His disciples into a boat that would be battered by waves (Mark 4:35–41). If I follow long enough, I will encounter opposition, misunderstanding, and moments of weariness. At times I will be tempted to retreat to safer ground. Yet even there, His question echoes: “Are you willing to follow Me anywhere, at any time, under any condition?”

That question exposes something in me. There have been seasons when I have stopped following—not publicly, perhaps, but practically. I walked ahead, making decisions on my terms. I prayed for God to bless what I had already decided. And when things unraveled, I realized I had drifted from behind Him to in front of Him.

Returning to Jesus is never a negotiation. It is not, “Lord, I will follow if You promise comfort.” It is, “Lord, You are God, and I am not.” The Greek word for deny in this passage, arneomai, carries the sense of disowning. I disown my claim to ultimate authority. I relinquish the throne. That is the doorway back to discipleship.

Augustine once observed, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” I have found that rest does not come from controlling the path, but from trusting the One who knows it fully. Following Jesus does not shrink life; it enlarges it. It leads into experiences I never dreamed of—deeper compassion, unexpected courage, and surprising joy.

In this “day in the life” with Jesus, I picture myself literally stepping behind Him. I imagine Him setting the pace. When He pauses to minister, I pause. When He moves toward someone I would normally avoid, I move. When He speaks truth, I echo it. That image reshapes how I approach my calendar, my conversations, even my frustrations. I am not inviting Him to join my activity. I am joining His.

If today you realize you have drifted, do not despair. The invitation remains. But it remains on His terms. He does not consult me about what is best. He already knows. The question is not whether Jesus will follow me. The question is whether I will follow Him.

For further reflection on what it means to take up your cross daily, I recommend this thoughtful article from The Gospel Coalition: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-does-it-mean-to-take-up-your-cross/

As I step into this day, I want to live with a simple, searching prayer: “Lord Jesus, where are You going today? Let me walk behind You.”

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