Going with Christ

For most of us who grew up in church before, we have heard this verse uttered a hundred times:

"And again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying: 'I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)

I found something really intriguing when I was studying this passage today. The Greek word behind "follow" in this context is "akoloutheo" (pronounced ak-ol-oo-theh'-o). It is the combination of 2 Greek words, one that means "together" and one that means "a road". Essentially, akoloutheo means to be in the same way with, to accompany, to attend, to go with. In this light (no pun intended), the verse makes a lot more sense. If you're with light, then...you're with light! Not darkness. (By the way, the Greek verb where Jesus says "shall not walk in darkness" is double negative, which means He was more like saying, "shall definitely never, ever walk in darkness". Yep, I'm a Greek geek!)

In our everyday life, it's easy for us to envision Jesus going with and accompanying us. But what about our accompanying Him on His way? His way is clearly laid out in His Word. Are you following it day by day? And just as importantly, are you accompanying Him closely? Communicating with Him throughout the day? Are you aware of His presence with you, and do you regularly ask, "Lord, where are you staying?" Although He certainly calls us to follow and obey Him, this is also synonymous with us being WITH Him. Consulting Him. Talking to Him. Are you lagging behind Him following Him silently, or do you walk beside Him, submissive to His way and in lively fellowship with your best Friend?