My small group has been going through a video series that asks the question - Are we as Christians being fans of Christ or are we truly following Him? We’ve had some good discussion, and it has prompted my husband Austin and I to take a deeper look at where we land. And we weren’t overly impressed with ourselves.

It’s easy to sometimes just fall into the fan category and watch from the sidelines. We definitely get excited and will even cheer from the stands as we see God at work. We love hearing stories of how Christ is bringing hope to the hopeless. We rejoice to learn of the Lord healing a loved one. We shout out praise when someone finds salvation in Him.

Yes, we are enthusiastic and loyal fans. We’re proud to be on Team Jesus and we attend all the fun events.

But are we willing to leave the stands and get down on the field? It can be dangerous down there. We might get injured, or even worse, humiliated by the opponent. (I once made a really nice layup for the wrong team – talk about humiliating!) Or what if we ruin the outcome of the game? Everyone will be watching us…we’ll be on display, a spectacle for mockery.

So we stay in the stands, surrounded by the comfort of a thousand other fans who continue to cheer. But what might we be missing? Could getting in the game be worth the risk? Jesus gives us a clear answer to that question when He says to take up our cross daily and follow Him.

We’re not meant to just be fans. We’re meant to be actively pursuing Christ and following Him wherever He leads. I’ve definitely sat on the sidelines at times, but have also experienced the excitement of getting in the game. There is so much more reward in choosing to follow. Hitting a game winning basket one time outweighs twenty air balls by a mile!

Yes, there could be risk involved, but it’s worth it. We don’t even know the joy we’re missing out on when we just sit and watch what God is doing. Life is much more exciting to be in the game, to be following Christ and fulfilling the call He’s given us. Once we do that, the stands seem kinda boring.