Jesus said to them,
"Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their
nets and followed him.
Those of us who believe in Christ can put down our own nets and walk
with Jesus. Although it may be a difficult concept to grasp, we can drop what we are doing
and take up Jesus’ path. It could not have been any easier for Simon and Andrew, and
later James and John, than it is for us.
Our lives include faith, family, work, and recreation. Could it have
been different for any of the disciples? How difficult must their choice have been to
follow Jesus and alter the form and foundation of the lives they knew before he sought
them?
How then can we "put down our nets?" We can do it by
remembering that Christ came into this world with the incredible power of God. He never
used that power to help himself. His power was used to heal, to teach, and to be for us a
Servant-King. We do not have those kinds of powers, but we do have the power to let go of
our burdens and leave our worries in the care of Christ. We can share our faith with
others and put our lives in the loving care of Jesus.
Why not let our careers and all our efforts be nurtured in the same
way?
Will faith make our burdens go away – certainly not! Will faith
make our jobs effortless – of course not!
Following the example of Jesus will ensure that our loads are shared
with God’s one and only Son. Faith, family, work and recreation ... wouldn’t the
example be to share all of our life through faith?
I think the message is this: share your life in Christ and, if you need
to "drop your nets," you can and you will without hesitation. Lead by
Christ’s example and be a servant to others and the road with Christ will become a
shared path, one we walk together.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us lead our lives as good examples to the
world around us. Help us remember and emulate the servanthood of Christ. Amen.
