Jesus says: Follow Me

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

The first command that Jesus issued to His disciples was, “Follow me.”  I often find it amazing that Simon and Andrew just stopped what they were doing, dropped their fishing nets, and left everything they had to go where Jesus went.  I wonder how Jesus said the words, how He looked…what was it about Him that made the men leave their comfort zone and livelihood so readily?

Have you ever heard that still small voice in your heart?  Or, have the words of a friend hit you so strongly that you knew God was actually telling you something you needed to hear?  How did you react?  Was or is Jesus telling you to go somewhere?  Is He telling you to come after Him?

If yes, are you willing to drop your nets and follow?

Where I grew up, we had a whole lot of nothing, material-wise.  If someone had asked me to leave it behind, it really wouldn’t have been much of a trial.  My response would have been, “Sure, when are we going?!”  I can imagine a few of my old friends feeling the same way.

For the past 12 years, I’ve lived in an affluent suburb…and admittedly spend most of my time with a huge question mark on my face.  Man, there is comfort here.  There is a lot of stuff here.  Lawns are a priority for perfection, it seems.  Lots of pretty, well-coiffed, sensibly-dressed folks saying polite sentences. Maintaining a happy “outside” image seems also to be high on the to-do list.

Oh yeah, and people are busy here, really, really busy—even the children need daytimers for their activities.

What would happen if a husband is in the middle of staining the deck in backyard and the son is getting his hockey gear in the trunk of the minivan while the sister is yelling at Mom that she needs to be dropped off first at her piano lesson and the mother is fretting that the baby she just managed to calm down enough to strap in the car seat suddenly needs a diaper change and then Jesus shows up and says:

Follow me.

Could they all stop what they are doing, drop their fishing nets, and go with Him?

I know what it is like to be addicted to alcohol—I’ve always been open about it.  Addiction can really have a firm grip on your soul.

What happens to the person who has hidden himself in the secret of his habit?  He waits for his family and friends to leave him alone in the house.  He is normally a very responsible man.  He says loving things to his wife, holds a job, is kind to his children, and admired by his mates.  However, he is gripped by this one thing.  He needs it.  It started with a keyword typed incorrectly on the Web which resulted in a tantilizing image on his screen.  He couldn’t move away from it.  He had to click the next link.  It brought him to a place of power and control.  He really needs it now.  And in the middle of this years-long habit, as he is indulging on the video on his screen, Jesus appears in a firm but forgiving voice deep in his heart and says:

Follow me.

Can that man turn off the computer, and go?

There is a lot of pressure on young people these days.  So many messages from so many sources telling them how they should be and how they can fit in to the persona that the media generates in 15-minutes-of-fame increments.

What happens to the good girl, as she is known, who believes in Christ, but has a compassionate heart for those who don’t?  Her intention is to stay true to herself, but as she falls in with a crowd that seems to accept her, she ever so slowly starts walking on their path.  One little party won’t hurt, she reasons.  She has good judgment, she thinks.  She might stay out later than she promised her folks, she might start swearing, but that’s because she hears it all the time.  She can stop, she knows.  Her new friends need her, and she can be a light to them.  She listens to music or watches movies that have content that bothers her, but she reasons that she can shake it off, and learns to tolerate it.  She notices that this group of friends doesn’t have so many rules to follow, and it seems easier to be with them.  She meets someone.  He seems nice.  They start seeing each other.  They spend a lot of time at parties.  It’s fun.  She is enjoying the romance.  She feels she can trust him, even when he asks her to go into the basement bedroom just to talk.  Her head feels light from drink and the thrill of infatuation.  And as she lies down beside him and readies herself for his embrace, she is overwhelmed by a Presence saying to her soul:

Follow me.

Can she run from that room and go back to Jesus?

There is a woman named Cait.  She has endured chronic health issues intensively for almost 11 years.  Through patient endurance, discipline and above all, God’s mercy and healing, her body is becoming stronger than she has ever known it to be.  She has only one medication to stop now, and is weaning off it.  Sadly, her healthy body had caused this med to act like an overdose and the side-effects are anxiety, which leads to acute agoraphobia, and chronic insomnia.  She knows God has been with her these past 11 years, knows He kept her mind clear and her sense of humour sharp, so she could cope with the other ailments.  But now, those things are hindered as she battles a mind that gets cluttered with irrational thoughts.  She tries to tell herself it’s temporary, but she knows it will take months to clear up. She asks for help from her family and friends to live by hope on her behalf.  She can feel the woman she really is battling through it and trying to claim her mind back.  But she’s exhausted.  She feels humiliated.  She wants to be better.  She wants to have all responsibilities taken off her plate.  She wants a vacation from her chemically challenged mind.  And in the middle of all the tears, frustration, and exhaustion, Jesus says:

Follow me.

Can I do it?  Doesn’t God know I am too tired?  What is He thinking?

Folks, when Jesus talks, we have to listen.  It can be so hard to leave what you think you know you cannot leave, and take a new path.  But honestly, the path you should be on is the one the Lord has made for you.  He really and truly knows what you can do and cannot do.  His plan is perfect for your life.  You might think you have to be mad to follow Jesus, but I think He wants us to be a little mad for Him!  What seems crazy to us is completely sane to the Lord.  His knowledge is so far above ours.

It’s ok to be frightened, to question what’s happening, and to pray, when Jesus calls to you.

But eventually, you have to follow.

Jesus said so.