Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” John 1:43, NIV

Line up!

This directive isn’t only for grade-schoolers who line up to go to lunch or the bathroom.

In one way or another, we also line up every single day – at the checkout counter, the bank, getting on a bus, leaving a concert. We line up more than
we realize!

Lining up works because it’s an easy way to make sure everyone is going in the same direction. It means we agree to get on the same page to accomplish the objective at hand.

Jesus uses lining up for His disciples, calling those who have ears to hear by saying, “Follow me.” (John 1:43 NIV) Simply put, this is a life spent conforming to the pattern of Jesus Christ. It’s trusting and obeying. It’s dying and rising.

Lining up with Jesus takes a lifetime, because His rule reaches all the way down to the nitty gritty of our living. It includes spare time, spare change and leftovers. It means hearing Jesus every single day, as He gently whispers, “Follow me.”

Getting in line with Jesus is really God’s intent for restoring our world. The Apostle Paul says God has put a plan into motion “for the fullness of time,
to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:10, NIV)

This is where Jesus’ line leads. When everything is said and done, all the things from your life will be gathered up in Jesus’ name in order to extend
God’s fame.

In light of this truth, Jesus’ followers spend their days getting ready now for when the stuff of heaven and earth are gathered up. They constantly listen for the unmistakable cry of Jesus, “Line up!”

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.