It was during the height of Covid, while I was recovering from an emergency gallbladder surgery, that I unexpectedly heard two words resound clearly and distinctly in my spirit:
“Follow Me.”
Startled—and admittedly a little miffed at the implication that I hadn’t been following Him all these decades—I responded, “Alright, Lord, what do You want me to do? Serve more in church? Minister to the nations? Enroll in another course? Relocate?”
But it was none of the above.
Instead, I realized I was being handed an invitation to upgrade by downgrading—an opportunity to decrease so that He might increase (John 3:30). This wasn’t about activity, but identity. It was a call to true discipleship: to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him—wherever He led, not where I wanted to go (Mark 8:34).
I instinctively knew that to walk the new path Jesus was laying before me, I had to first examine every motive behind my “good works.” It was time to recalibrate. Different seasons require different maps, and the map of the last season had become obsolete.
Thus began the journey of soul-searching.
● Were there times when my left hand did know what my right hand was doing? (Matt. 6:3)
● Did I pray to touch God’s heart—or to impress others? (Matt. 6:7)
● Were my testimonies tuned, even subtly, to give more glory to myself than to Jesus? (Ps. 115:1)
● Have I produced true and lasting fruit? (John 15:6)
● Have I shown partiality to certain people? (James 2:9)
● Have I been misled by false prophecies? (Matt. 24:11)
And so the ruthless self-examination began.
Covid, in its strange and painful way, became a divine pause—a timely soul alignment. The world as we knew it had been turned on its head, and a new era was nipping at its heels: one driven by algorithms, conspiracy theories, and artificial intelligence. Without a deep and intimate knowledge of God, many—even among the elect—would be at risk of “unfollowing” Jesus (Matt. 24:9–12).
Deception was ready to explode exponentially, yet much of the Church remained like infants, slurping milk instead of growing strong on solid food. (Heb. 5:12–14)
For those who had ears to hear, however, this period of global isolation was the perfect moment to “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10), to abide in Him (John 15:4), and to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ (Eph. 1:17).
Now, five years on, Covid has faded into the rearview mirror. But new apocalyptic tremors have overtaken its memory. Wars, rumors of wars, and the shaking of nations are in full swing. Even the hidden sins within the Church are being boldly and systematically exposed.
So, let me ask you, dear brother or sister:
How is your soul navigating these birth pangs?
What’s the condition of your inner world?
Are you living on autopilot—or are you being led by heaven’s itinerary?
If your heart trembles at the thought of more pandemics, economic collapse, terrorism, or nuclear war—and the promised peace that surpasses all understanding seems to be eluding you—may I remind you that Jesus’ invitation to “Follow Me” is still the only true antidote to fear and anxiety.
And I’m not talking about the kind of following we think we’re doing.
Serving in a church ministry doesn’t automatically mean you’re following Jesus. Neither does attending prayer meetings, going on mission trips, listening to Christian podcasts, or posting verses on social media. All good things—but not the same thing as following Him.
The first step in following anyone is simply to be with them.
The early disciples literally spent every waking and sleeping moment with Rabbi Yeshua—watching, serving, learning, and eventually emulating everything He said and did.
They didn’t negotiate where He led them. They didn’t say, “Let me pray about it.” They just obeyed.
And in doing so, they were empowered to perform the same miracles He did—and more.
This is what the world is groaning for:
Followers of Jesus who are Spirit-led, Spirit-consumed, and Spirit-empowered—bringing His light into darkness, His hope into despair, and His presence into every room they enter.
Only then will others begin to follow Him too.
