Learning To Follow: The Forgotten Virtue: By Vahe Sargsyan

Read the Gospels and you’ll find Jesus saying the same two words again and again: “Follow me.” (Matthew 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, 10:38; Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23, John 21:19). Those words are the essence of Christian life—not “Lead me,” but “Follow me.”
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The Obsession With Leadership

Modern society—especially in schools, colleges, and workplaces—teaches us to become leaders. Leadership is praised as the highest calling. Certainly, leadership has its place, and for some it is indeed a calling. But not for all. Leadership carries heavy responsibility: accountability for successes and failures, constant criticism, loneliness, and stress. It is not a role for everyone, nor should it be. After all, if everyone were a leader, who would they lead?

Yet we are rarely taught the opposite: how to be good followers. And so “follower” becomes a dirty word. It is assumed to mean weakness, passivity, or lack of ambition. But this is far from the truth.
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The Call of Christ

To be a follower of Christ is not easy. It is demanding, costly, and transformative. Jesus never promised it would be comfortable; He promised it would require self-denial: “Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38).

St. John Chrysostom reminds us that true followership often requires radical self-denial. It is not the easy road. And St. John the Baptist gives us the ultimate follower’s creed: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

The Apostles themselves were the ultimate followers. They left everything to follow Christ, and in doing so they changed the world. Their greatness was not in seeking power, but in following faithfully—even unto death.
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The Strength of Following

Being a follower of Christ does not mean you are weak. It means you are not alone. Following Christ places you within a community — a body. The Church is not a collection of isolated leaders but a communion of followers, walking together in obedience to the same Lord. Followership rooted in eternal truth and Christ’s commandments is not passive — it is a force.

And it requires courage. Think of a soldier in battle. When the commander gives the order, the soldier does not hesitate — he acts, even at great risk. To follow Christ is no less courageous. It means trusting His word above your own instincts, obeying His commands even when the world mocks or opposes you, and walking forward even when the path is hard. Following Christ is an act of bravery, not cowardice.
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How to Be a Good Follower of Christ

1. Listen – A follower hears the Shepherd’s voice through Scripture, prayer, and the teaching of the Church.
2. Obey – Not grudgingly, but with trust. Obedience to Christ is freedom, not bondage.
3. Stay with the Flock – Following Christ is not a solo journey. The Church strengthens and protects us.
4. Practice Self-Denial – To follow Christ is to lay aside pride and ambition, choosing humility over self-promotion.
5. Show Courage – Like a soldier following his commander into battle, have the courage to follow Christ even when it is costly.
6. Keep Your Eyes on the Leader – Christ goes before us. A good follower does not wander off but keeps his gaze fixed on Him.
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Final Word

Leadership has its place, but discipleship is for all, even for the leaders. Christ has not called every one of us to be leaders, but He has called every one of us to be followers. To follow Him faithfully, humbly, courageously.

In a culture that glorifies leadership, let us rediscover the strength and joy of following Christ. For He alone is the Good Shepherd—and to follow Him is the highest calling of all.
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- Vahe Sargsyan holds a graduate degree in Theology from YSU. For over 16 years, he has been engaged in Religious Education and now serves in the Media Department of the Western Diocese, where he produces religious content.
His writings focus on faith, heritage, and everyday Christian life of the Armenian Orthodox Christian community.