One question I frequently ask people is, “Would you share your journey of faith that brings you up to this point?”

Frequently, I am greeted with fond stories of childhood attendance in worship, Sunday school, or Vacation Bible School. Then there was a time when they were not a part of a faith community. This usually spans 10 to 30 years of their life.

As they unroll their life of faith, I will usually hear this one phrase: “I was always a believer.” They will tell me how they have continued to believe in God, Jesus, or even the cross.

We must be clear that there is a difference between saying we believe in something and following someone. Believing is about having an idea that we agree with. We agree with the concept that Jesus might have lived. We might even agree with the notion that he died for our sins, and he is how I can get into heaven.

Following is something completely different. It is about believers doing what they were instructed to do. It is about denying our own wants and desires to keep pace with the one leading. It is about our personal lives, adjusting regularly to stay close to the leader. The bottom line is that following is a lifestyle, not just a concept we hold dear.

While I use words like Christian, disciple, believer, and follower of Jesus interchangeably, they do have different meanings. The call is for us to follow Jesus, not just believe he existed. Even the demons believe that and shudder.