Free My Big Bottom Blessing by Teasi Cannon

to everything He did. His actions all flowed out of His perfect relationship with His Father—a relationship He desperately wants us to have as well.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
    Several times in the Bible we see Jesus saying, “Follow Me.” In the fourth chapter of Matthew, Jesus asks Peter, Andrew, James, and John all to drop what they are doing to follow Him. At this point, Jesus is asking them to come along on a physical journey—to witness His power and ministry on earth. (And boy, what an incredible eyeful they got!) But not much later, Jesus makes the same request with an interesting twist.
    In John 21:19, Jesus is talking with Peter once again by the Sea of Galilee. He says to Peter, “Follow me.” He says it again in verse 22. Now remember, by this time Peter has already been following Jesus for quite some time. Why does Jesus keep saying this? I believe the answer can be found a few verses earlier (verse 14): “This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.”
    Look at the timing here. On this occasion, Jesus is asking Peter to follow him after He was raised from the dead. His earthly ministry is pretty much over. Jesus is about to go back to heaven. Why is He still asking Peter to follow? Where is Jesus going that He would continue to repeat this request? Well, here's what Jesus says:
    â€œLet not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:1–6)
    From these verses we can see that the journey has changed from the physical to the sacred. Jesus is now asking Peter (and us) to follow Him not just around town, but to the Father. And not only does Jesus ask us to follow, but He says He is the way. What is the use of a “way” if there is no destination? But there is a destination, and it appears that leading us to that place is a primary objective for Jesus. His hope was not simply that we would do what He did , but that we would go where He went —into the arms of His Father.
    If we stop short by following Jesus only as far as salvation from hell, we are stopping far short of everything He died to accomplish.
MEET MY MIGHTY COUNSELOR
    So, do you feel like you've followed Jesus all the way to the Father? When you get really honest, would you say that your relationship with God the Father is all it was meant to be? For many years I thought mine was. I was very aware that God loved me, and I wanted everyone else to know that He loved them too. In fact, I believed I was experiencing all the love God had to give me. But I wasn't, and chances are you're not either.
    Here's a quick test for you. Without giving it much thought at all, what are the first few words that come to your mind when I say the name “Jesus”? For many years, my list would have looked like this: savior, humble, lover of sinners, sacrifice, healer, gentle, lover of children. Now, what words do you think of when I say “Holy Spirit”? My list would include such things as comforter, counselor, and loving teacher.
    Okay, here's the big one. What words first come to your mind when I say “God the Father”? Honestly, my list would include words such as judge, ruler, holy, discipline, chastening, hater of sin, fear. Is your list similar?
    The list of words I related to the Father was far different from those I used to describe Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It's quite obvious that my feelings toward the Father were a bit