Admirer vs. Follower

Who do you really admire?  I admired former President Ronald Reagan growing up for his ability to "mean what you say and say what you mean." I admired Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, who for the better part of my childhood played 1st base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a devastating left handed power hitter who at one time had the longest ball hit in 6 major league stadiums. Stargell was a great baseball player but he was better man, raising 1000’s of dollars for sickle cell research and the under privileged of Pittsburgh area. I admire Former Marshall University President Donald Dedmon. An unsung hero of my Marshall University. Who despite overwhelming pressure brought by some continued the football program at Marshall because it was the right thing to do. That’s easy to see now, it wasn’t so easy back in 1970. But all the people I admire aren’t so famous.

I admire former Mayor of Hurricane Raymond Peak, a man who loved this community so much that he served as Mayor for nearly 40 years. If you think your job is thank-less be mayor for day. I know Raymond had his share of people that disagreed with him but in 45 years I’ve known him I’ve never heard him speak a harsh word of any of them. I admire my parents, my Mom showing me what love through sacrifice really was and is to this day. And my Dad for the value of tough and yes sometimes brutal honesty. I admired my MaMaw Stricklin for her ability to be not only content but truly happy for what God had given her even when it didn’t seem like very much to me. And I admire my wife who has shown mer the meaning of grace over and over again the last 21years.

As much as I admire some people being and admirer and follower are two different things. I admired President Reagan but I’m not likely to be President of anything than a church camp or my fantasy football league anytime soon. I admired Willie Stargell but if I get a hit and walk to 1st base anymore on the ball field I feel pretty good about myself. John Ortberg said the difference between an admirer and a follower is this, "an admirer is impressed. A follower is devoted. An admirer applauds. A follower surrenders his life.”

A lot of people admired Martin Luther King. Some marched with him, a few went to jail with him, and a very few got their houses bombed like he did. But he alone was shot on April 4th, 1968 in Memphis. A lot of people admired and still admire MLK but there were few true followers who walked in his shoes. Many people admired Mother Theresa but not many people followed her to live among the destitute and dying. We admire Jesus, I have no doubt about that. We sing praises to him, we teach about him we pray to him. Jesus has never had a shortage of admirers in this world. Even people who do not believe he is the Son of God. But you know something, you can read every verse in the Bible, and you will not come across a single verse in which Jesus comes even close to saying,” Come admire me”, or “unless you admire me, you cannot be my disciple.”

Folks, Jesus doesn’t need admirers, he needs followers! We need to learn that!