Matthew 4:19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
When Jesus called the first four Disciples, they knew they were in the Presence of the Messiah. They immediately dropped what they were doing and followed Him. Here’s how it happened. And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all fishermen. They fished for a living. They supported their families by fishing. They must have been good fishermen, or they wouldn’t have been able to provide for their families by fishing. They worked hard every day as they took up their nets and fished. This was their profession that provided them with a livelihood.
When they met Jesus, everything changed. Although they were expert fishermen, Jesus called them out of their current profession and into a life of being a Disciple of His. He DID NOT tell them they would stop fishing. They would continue to work, but now, they would be fishing for the hearts of men rather than fish.
God creates every person with gifts, abilities, and passion to do something. We are all fishers of something. Most people fish for prosperity and success in their field of work. Others fish for a free ride in life and work very hard to take advantage of every government and social program they can find and anyone who will have compassion for them and give them something for nothing. Neither is God’s Plan for His people.
Life is not easy. It takes hard work. Being a Disciple of Jesus is not easy either. Ministry is not easy. Jesus DID NOT call His Disciples out of their line of work into a life of early retirement, leisure, and fringe benefits. Serving God with all your heart is hard work, and you will be ridiculed and harassed. Take time to read what the Disciples endured as they followed Jesus and how their natural lives ended. You may be surprised.
The moment we surrender to God’s call on our lives, everything changes. Most of all, our passion and motivation are redirected by the Holy Spirit of God. Our purpose for getting up every morning and going to work is different. Our reason for living has changed. The desires of our heart (our passion) take on a whole new direction.
We are ALL created to serve and bring glory to God and be followers of Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus called his Disciples to lay down their fishing nets and follow Him, He is calling us today. The call has not changed. It is the same today as it was 2,000 years ago.
Jesus wants us to lay down our earthly desires, motives, and passions for earthly things. He is calling us to be fishers of men, builders of His Kingdom. We can’t do this when we spend all our time fishing for something in Satan’s world. The question for today is: What are you fishing for?
Allow the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to your heart on this subject. Jesus is calling you. Are you willing to lay down your nets and follow Him? If you do, you will never be sorry. There is nothing quite like living for Jesus and serving Him 24/7.
If you choose to totally surrender, He WILL……..turn the tide in your life.
Fishing, Doreen
