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Not A Fan


There's a big difference in being a fan versus being a follower.

Being a fan is akin to being a customer. We like a certain product, sports team, or musician. We like them because of what they offer us; great hair, bragging rights or entertainment value. We can stop being a fan when they no longer offer these things. The focus is on us.

But being a follower is very different. We follow leaders. We place our trust and hope in those we follow. We submit our plans for their plans, our ideals for their ideals, our future for their future. When the going gets rough, a committed follower stays the course. It's the course of the leader. The focus is not on us.

This alone would be reason enough to make me like Kyle Idleman's book Not a Fan. But it's not the only reason.

Kyle has written a challenging book here, not unlike the book where he gets his ideas. That would be the Bible. Quoting Jesus throughout, Kyle helps us dig deeper and think more broadly as to the cost of true discipleship.

Deftly breaking down the original language and customs and sharing current stories, Kyle leaves us with an eyes-wide-open approach to our faith, one that leaves us no longer content to be a fan.

That's why we're not called to be fans. We're called to be followers. I encourage you to check out the book from wherever it is you buy books, but only if you're ready to be broken. Much like Jesus, Kyle's challenge does not offer you a middle ground. Are you a fan? Or are you a follower? There is no third option.
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