0
0
You finally said it out loud: you want to follow Jesus. Then Sunday comes, and the woman two rows up knows exactly where Philippians is. The guy at small group prays like he has done it ten thousand times. Somebody mentions a verse “everyone knows,” and you nod like you know it too.
By Monday, the question in your head is not really “how do I follow Jesus?” It is “how do I follow Jesus when everyone else seems so far ahead of me?” Here is something that may surprise you. The very last time Jesus says “follow me” in the Gospels, He says it to a man asking that exact question.
The Last “Follow Me” in the Gospels
It happens on a beach, at the very end of the Gospel of John. Jesus has risen. Peter, the same Peter who said three times that he did not know Jesus, has just been given breakfast and a second chance. Jesus tells Peter, gently, what his life ahead will look like. Then He says the two words Peter first heard from Him beside the Sea of Galilee, back when Peter was still just a fisherman:
“Follow me.” (John 21:19)
Now watch what Peter does next, because it is the most human thing in the chapter. He turns around.
“Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following.” (John 21:20)
He sees John. And he asks Jesus:
“Lord, and what shall this man do?” (John 21:21)
You know that feeling. “Okay, that’s my path. But what about his? Is his easier? Is he doing better? Am I behind?” Jesus answers:
“If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” (John 21:22)
The Word Most People Read Past
Put the two sentences side by side. The first time, in verse 19, it is simply “Follow me.” The second time, in verse 22, there is one extra word: “follow thou me.” The Greek text does the same thing. It adds a “you” that the sentence does not need, which is how Greek puts weight on a word. It is like tapping someone on the chest: you. Follow me.
Jesus is not scolding Peter. He is turning him back around. Peter was not looking at Jesus in that moment. He was looking over his shoulder at another follower.
And here is the detail almost nobody notices. John was not standing still. Verse 20 says Peter saw him following. Peter turned around to compare himself to someone who was doing the exact same thing he was supposed to be doing. That is what comparison does. It stops you walking so you can grade someone else’s walk.
What Happened When People Compared Anyway
John adds one more line, and it is a quiet warning. The comparison turned into a rumor:
“Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” (John 21:23)
People took a sentence that was meant to turn Peter’s eyes forward and made it a story about someone else. John, writing years later, felt he had to correct it. Even the first followers of Jesus got distracted by who was ahead, who was special, and who got which path. So if you catch yourself doing it, you are in very old company.
So How Do You Follow Jesus? Four Plain Steps
Following Jesus is not a test you pass by knowing more than the person next to you. The word “follow” means walking behind someone and keeping them in sight. That gives you a simple, doable way to begin.
1. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not the other followers
You cannot follow someone you are not watching. For most people, the way to “watch” Jesus is to read about His life in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Not the whole Bible. Just His life, a little at a time. If you want to know more about what the call meant to the first fishermen, what “follow me” meant in the Bible walks through it.
2. Make it daily and small
Luke records Jesus saying, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Notice that word: daily. Following is not one big leap. It is a next step, then another one tomorrow. Ten quiet minutes you actually keep will carry you further than an hour you dread.
3. When you notice yourself comparing, hear the question
“What is that to thee?” is not harsh. It is freeing. You do not have to catch up to anyone. The woman who knows where Philippians is started somewhere too. Her path is between her and Jesus. Yours is between you and Jesus. When the comparison starts, turn back around.
4. Do the one thing in front of you
Jesus did not give Peter a ten-year plan on that beach. He gave him a direction: follow. If today’s reading shows Jesus being patient with someone, try being patient with one person today. That is following. Small, real, and yours. For ideas on what those first days can look like, see what to do as a new Christian.
What Changes When You Stop Looking Over Your Shoulder
Picture a morning a few weeks from now. You sit down with your coffee and open to where you left off yesterday. You are not wondering whether you are doing it “right” or measuring yourself against the people at church. You are just reading the next part of Jesus’ life: who He talked to, what He noticed, how He treated the person nobody else wanted around.
Somewhere in there, following stops feeling like a performance. It starts feeling like walking with a friend you are getting to know. Sunday feels different too. The person who knows every verse is no longer your measuring stick. They are just another follower on the same road, a few steps in a different place, looking at the same Jesus.
That is the real answer to “how do I follow Jesus?” Look at Him. Every day. A little at a time. And when you catch yourself turning around to check on someone else, hear the kind voice saying, “follow thou me.”
A Path That Keeps Your Eyes Forward
The hardest part of following is not wanting to. It is knowing what to read tomorrow morning, and the morning after that, without getting lost or quitting on day four. That is why we made 30 Days Walking with Jesus. It walks you through the life of Jesus one day at a time, as a beginner-friendly reading plan through the Gospels, so your eyes stay on Him and not on how far along everyone else seems. If you want a simple daily rhythm, our beginner Bible reading plan guide explains why a plan built for your worst day works best.
Each day takes under 10 minutes. You get 30 short devotional videos (each under 60 seconds), 30 full-chapter audio readings, a complete PDF study guide with journal prompts, and 5 quick-reference scripture guides. And it is completely free. No payment, no card, no upsell, yours forever on any device. The words of Jesus should not sit behind a paywall.
Questions People Are Asking
Q: How do I follow Jesus as a beginner?
A: Start by getting to know Jesus through His life in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, a small portion each day. Following Jesus means keeping Him in view and doing the next thing you see Him teach, like being patient or kind to one person today. You do not need to know the whole Bible first, and you do not need to catch up to anyone else.
Q: What did Jesus mean when He said “what is that to thee? follow thou me”?
A: In John 21:22, Peter had just heard about his own future and turned to ask what would happen to John. Jesus answered, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” Jesus was gently redirecting Peter from comparing his path with another disciple’s back to following Jesus himself.
Q: Is it wrong to compare my faith to other Christians?
A: It is very common, and even Peter did it in John 21. The problem is that comparison takes your eyes off Jesus and puts them on another person, which can leave you feeling behind or discouraged. When you notice it, you can simply turn your attention back to reading about Jesus and taking your own next step.
Q: How much time a day does it take to follow Jesus?
A: Following Jesus is a whole-life thing, not a time slot, but a short daily habit of reading about His life helps a lot. Luke 9:23 uses the word “daily,” and a few focused minutes you keep every day tend to go further than long sessions you skip. The free 30 Days Walking with Jesus plan is built to take under 10 minutes a day.
Q: Where in the Bible does Jesus say “follow me”?
A: Jesus says “Follow me” to the fishermen in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In Luke 9:23 He says to them all that anyone who will come after Him should “take up his cross daily, and follow me.” The final chapter of John has Jesus saying “Follow me” to Peter in John 21:19 and again, “follow thou me,” in John 21:22.
