Fishing Tales: “the call of discipleship”
Matthew 4:19 “Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
Jesus meets Peter and Andrew in the midst of their everyday life. He meets them where they are “earning a living.” God created Peter and Andrew with the skills of fishing that they learned from their father and Jesus calls out to them and basically says, “I want to use the gifts and graces that you have; I want to use what you are comfortable doing to reach people for the Kingdom of God.” Jesus doesn’t ask Peter and Andrew to be anything other then a fisherman; He just asks them to direct that vocation toward reaching people for the Kingdom of God. So often we miss the call of God that asks us to offer what we currently have to be used to further the Kingdom of God. What if God has us in our places of vocation, social circles, neighborhoods, community activities for the very reason to use those places and our interests in them as a tool to bring people to Jesus Christ. God is not asking you (me) to stop fishing; He’s just asking us to fish for His people. Pretty cool! Looking forward to those fish tales!
Jesus, pour your grace on me today and protect me from being consumed with the circumstances that evil is using to distract me. Keep me focused on those that are far from you and not consumed with the internal naval gazing of those who claim to follow you but want nothing to do with fishing for those that are lost. I pray you would protect me and Crossroads from naval gazing “Christians” and you would keep us focused on those that are far from you. Teach me to fish today; better then yesterday; give me your heart for those that are far from you. May I never loose the passion you give me to further your Kingdom. Protect me from a stoic, mundane, complacent faith that infects so much of Christianity in my culture. Amen!
chadpullins@connect2crossroads.com
