You gotta love it when fractions reduce to their simplest form. Everything seems to get real clear at that point.

Same thing goes for game plans. When the strategy gets complex, we can struggle. But when our focus narrows, understanding grows, execution expands and productivity rises.

Jesus reduces the Christian life to its simplest form. He simply says, "Follow Me!" That reduction is powerful! It's powerful because:

It's SIMPLE. We live in a world that over-complicates everything, especially religion. No other religion simplifies itself to this pristine level.

It's CONSISTENT. This world tempts us to keep changing our messaging. At the front of the journey as well as the end, Jesus declares the same way to roll … with Him!

The Yankees don't change their pinstripes. Jesus doesn't change His mandate: Follow Me! (Compare Matthew 4:19 and John 21:19; The message remains the same at the beginning and the end for Peter with Jesus.)

It WORKS. We're not as good as we think at leading ourselves. Any given day can find us in a rut, a ditch, stuck in the mud. Following well leads to living a well-lived life.

Following well leads to leading well too. No matter how old we get, it's best to be quietly, faithfully led by Him.

Reflect: How's your following going? Living too independently of Him (and of others He's placed in your life)? Are you keeping life simple enough?

A prayer to consider: LORD, may I never fear Your two words, "Follow Me!" They are the most powerful, best words I could ever hear.

Help me to reduce my life to living out these two words. May they ring in my ears and stir my heart for a lifetime. Amen.