“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
Simon, Andrew, James, and John dropped their nets and left their families immediately at the call of Christ. What or who could be so strong as to draw a person away from their vocation and life?
Even as a person who has been called in Christ, I don’t have the ability to do that for Jesus. Most of the time, I don’t even feel like following Jesus. Yes; He beckons all to come to Him and tells us that His burden is light - and how light it is! Where else can I find rest other than in the peace of knowing that God is gracious & loves me despite myself?
On the other hand, following Him also means denying and dying to myself. And this frustrates me. It’s something about which I am constantly groaning and grumbling. It’s something that makes me swear, and curse, and cry, “God, I don’t want this! I don’t want to be a Christian!”
And yet, this calling is one that I can’t deny (as painful as it is). Because (1) the way in which God has demonstrated His love to me is undeniable in itself, and (2) the end result is the glorious eternity in which I will know my God who strengthened me and allowed me to persevere by the working of His Spirit. I’ll be so overwhelmed that I’ll collapse on my knees with the rest of creation and be able to praise His name forever. And not only will He have redeemed me, but also others. He will have used me as an instrument of His mercy (that is, a fisherman of men), so we, as His sons in Christ Jesus, may know and praise our glorious Maker together.
“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:22-23)
