Why are so many Christians confused about following Jesus? (Pt.1)

This is Part 1 of a series. Read Part 2.

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So much of my ministry is based on my belief that the average Christian walks around confused most of the time. They’re not confused because they’re dumb. They’re confused because following Jesus seems so complicated.

It’s not that they’re not trying to follow Jesus. They are! But many Christians I talk to don’t feel like they understand what God expects from them. They don’t really know exactly what it is they’re supposed to do. So they just kind of stumble along, feeling a little guilty, and hoping that God is happy enough with their effort and progress.

That’s why I write this content.

I don’t for a moment think God wants us walking around confused. God has given every Christian at least 3 things to help us understand how to follow Jesus: the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, and the local church.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit offers us the most help for following Jesus. As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death, resurrection, and eventual departure (when he ascended into heaven), he told them to wait for the Holy Spirit whom he would send from heaven to help them (John 15:26).

The Holy Spirit is a gift from heaven. When a person becomes a Christian by putting their faith and trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of our hearts (Gal. 4:6). The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity (along with God the Son and God the Father), and just like Jesus came to do the Father’s will (John 6:38), the Holy Spirit’s job is to point us to Jesus and to help us live like him (John 14:26; 16:13-14).

We know the Holy Spirit can change our lives in powerful ways because we know the story of Pentecost. I don’t know about you, but I constantly draw a lot of comfort from the disciples when I read about them in the Gospels. Jesus chose a bunch of enthusiastic and hardheaded young men to teach and train and mentor. The Gospels, which were written by these disciples or their close friends and followers, often depict the disciples–usually our boy Peter, sorry Pete!–missing the point or getting it wrong. But Pentecost changed things.

Right before Jesus ascended to heaven, he tells his disciples to be patient, to wait for the “promise” from the Father (Acts 1:4-5). He then tells the disciples that when they receive this promised Holy Spirit they would receive power and be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Well, you know the story. The Holy Spirit did come from heaven at Pentecost in an amazing and miraculous way. But most amazing of all, it completely transformed Jesus’ ragtag band of followers into mighty men of God.

The Holy Spirit gave the disciples courage, clarity, wisdom, and strength to bear witness to Jesus. And after the Spirit fell on them, they were never the same. But here’s the thing we so often miss: the same Holy Spirit that empowered the disciples lives within us today. So the first thing about following Jesus, is to know and listen to the Holy Spirit within us.

That’s easy to say, but hard to do.

For many Christians, it’s hard to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit because he usually speaks in tandem with the Scriptures. And–speaking of the average Christian–in my experience their Bible reading and engagement is low because they are understandably intimidated by our thousand-page holy book.

Trust me. I get it.

But God wants you to read his Word. It’s the place he has revealed himself to us. There is no other catalyst for your growth as a follower of Jesus like developing the habit of reading God’s Word regularly (and accurately).

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Read Part 2 where I talk about Bible reading and the local church.