From Sam Hateley

Come, follow me

CALLED TO FOLLOW

I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was about ten years old, and my dad was teaching me to fish. The sun was shining, andthe water was almost still. It was peaceful. I was so excited at the prospect of catching my very first fish. Dad was walking me through the process of how to bait the hook, cast my line out to sea, and how to know a fish had taken the bait. So, after a few failed attempts, I reeled back in, noticing that the bait had indeed been taken. I needed more. Dad was helping me hook the bait on when, in all my excitement, I yelled back to him, “Can I cast out yet?” He promptly yelled back, “NO!” But my ten-year-old brain didn’t hear “NO”, it heard “GO!”, and so cast out I did! Poor Dad ended up with a hook through the webbing between his finger and thumb.

This story has always reminded me of what Jesus said in Mark 1:17 (NLT):

“Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’”

Friends, at ten years of age, I accidentally started fishing for people! All because I didn’t listen to or process the instructions given to me. This highlights the importance of the first part of Jesus’ statement in Mark 1. Jesus doesn’t say, “Run ahead of me, go fish for people, and when I catch up, we’ll see how you’re going.” He says, “Come, follow me.” Three simple, yet powerful, words for our lives. “Come, follow me.” For whatever reason, our instinct, our human nature, is to try to run ahead of Jesus. He gives us instruction and we miss the important part… “Come, follow me.”

Being a disciple of Jesus means being a follower of Jesus. We aren’t racing Jesus; he is walking alongside us, showing us how to live, how to love, how to grow his kingdom. Maybe you have been following Jesus for some time now, or maybe this is very new to you, or maybe you are just testing the waters, so to speak. Friends, it is the best decision to make that choice to stop, follow Jesus and learn how to bring others into his kingdom. It’s exciting! It’s honestly the best.

But when we rush ahead of Jesus, when we think we know what we’re doing or have all the answers, we end up getting a hook stuck in someone’s hand! When we slow ourselves down and listen to Jesus say, “Come, follow me”, we begin to understand how to really ‘fish’ for people – how to truly live like Christ, loving people and inviting them to come to know him. We want to be formed into Jesus’ likeness in heart, mind and action.

Reflection

• Are you trying to rush ahead of Jesus? Do you need to slow down and tune back into: “Come, follow me”?
• What does it look like for you to come to Jesus and fish for people?
• Who are the people you are fishing for?

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for your example. Thank you that you call us to follow you, to partner with you to grow your kingdom. Holy Spirit, will you come right now, fill us, and help us to stop living in our own strength? Help us to stop and follow Jesus. May we see very full nets as we fish for people. We pray this in your name, Jesus, Amen.