If a person desires to be close to God there has to be some changes made in his or her life. Many people get caught up with the "what’s in it for me" mentality.
This has to change, for the entire idea God has shown to man is to love and to give, thinking of others. Many miss this point and only want what they can get out of "religion."
Those who are truly converted to the Lord have seen a change in their lives. They no longer have the attitude of the man talked about in Luke 12. He spent all his time doing things for himself and left God out of the picture. God asked him a question, "…Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:20-21).
True followers of God realize that all blessings come from God and that they are only able to enjoy them for a season. So many have the idea that they do everything without help from anyone or anything, evidently they have never stopped to think about the air they are breathing or the health they have. God provides everything for life and godliness, (2 Peter 1:3).
Those who seek to please God are willing to give of themselves for God and their fellow man. They have come to realize what Jesus meant when he said, "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul (Matthew 16:24-26)?
No longer does self come first, rather God comes first, then others. They are willing to serve others instead of waiting to be served. They willing give to God and others instead of seeing how much they can get. They are following in the steps of Jesus.
Those who are true followers know they must spend time in the word of God. It is the directions left to man by God.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Wanting to be a follower implies the desire to do as God desires, there for one must go beyond just studying the word to obeying the word.
God has not left man to flounder about looking for what he must do to please him, God has told man what must be done. In the book of Acts when the law of Christ came into being, there are examples to be followed. Those preachers taught their listeners to have faith in Jesus that he was the resurrected Son of God, to turn or repent of their sins, to confess Jesus as the Son of God and then to be baptized for the remission of their sins, to begin living for God faithfully.
This is the same message man must obey today. God has not changed but those who want to follow him must change their lives and thoughts to be successful.