Are We Truly Following Jesus or Just Playing Church?

Honest Question— if you lined up a Christian and an unbeliever side by side, could you really tell the difference? Be honest. Sometimes, it feels like the lines are blurry, doesn’t it? In fact, I’ve heard some people say (and honestly, I can’t entirely disagree) that unbelievers sometimes display more of the fruit of the Spirit than us church folks do. Ouch, right? But hey, we’ll save that convo for another day.

I’m not saying this to be judgmental—I’ve been there. For years, I was the Christian who wore the title but lived by the world’s standards. I could talk the talk, but my life didn’t reflect the transformation that’s supposed to come with following Christ. So, what’s going on? Why do so many believers live lukewarm, powerless lives, lacking true love and transformation?

Here’s my take: the gospel that most of us received was watered down. We were taught to accept Jesus but never shown how to truly follow Him. Discipleship was barely emphasized, and the hard truth about denying ourselves and letting go of worldly comforts was often glossed over. And let’s face it—who wants to hear that? We want to follow God on our terms, but Jesus never left that option open. He laid it out plainly in Matthew 16:24-25:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

It’s a call to surrender, to give up the life we thought we wanted in exchange for the life He has for us. But how many of us can boldly say we’re truly following Jesus? For too many, the focus has shifted to following pastors, programs, and church traditions instead of following Christ Himself.

This isn’t about blame—it’s about getting back to the heart of the gospel. It’s about embracing the hard but beautiful truth of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. So, let’s unpack this together. What does it really mean to follow Him? And how do we get back to the kind of faith that changes lives? Stay with me—this is a conversation we all need. To be continued.