Will You Leave Your Net?

There was a man well advanced in years that got up every morning to go to work. He was getting a bit frustrated with doing the same thing every single day.  Very tedious work, long hours and not much productivity. Sometimes he would just sit there, in the same spot, day after day, month after month and year after year.  He would be accompanied by his co-workers. Until one day another Man sees and walks up to him. He was clothed in majesty and filled with glory.  The initial greeting went something like this, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” [Matthew 4:19] The book then states in the next verse, “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” They jump up! With no questions, no answers, no blueprints or plans and just walk with a complete stranger into a whole new life.

This is what you refer to as “A Calling.”  A calling is becoming a follower of Christ.  This means that your whole life is now in alignment with the leading of God and you follow. He tells you what to do, what to say, where to go and how to live. He gives you an amazing manual for guidance called the Holy Scripture [John 17:8] and also provides for you a powerful helper called the Holy Spirit [John 15:26]. This way you are not lost or confused but you have a manual and a helper! Essentially, this is all the Christian [follower of Christ] needs to know and believe in. This is called a complete surrender and submission to the “new boss of you” [James 4:7]. Much like submitting to a natural boss we have a Boss of the Universe called GOD.  He is the highest power and ultimately sovereign.  He knows us very well because He created us [Psalm 139].

This is wonderful news already. Your new boss is very much acquainted with who you are and He hired you JUST LIKE THAT.  He looked over your resume, skills and qualifications and said, “Wow, this is going to be very beneficial for Me. This one has the perfect dramatizing background, a history of struggle and has already endured so much! Perfect fit for this role as a follower. Maybe in time after some fruitful work indeed with Me, I can give the leadership position I really have for them!” This is exactly how God looks at us!

What do we need to do?  Let’s check the Word for answers!

1) Leave your “net”!  Whatever is holding you back.  Whatever has you bound.  Whatever is getting in the way of working for God, you have to leave it behind!  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  You just leave it! God has a better one for you.  What are you waiting for? There is new work to do. Peter and the disciples left their nets and began healing the sick! They raised the dead! They fed the multitudes! This was a GREAT new net!

2) Trust God!  If He created you and called you –isn’t that enough to know that He certainly has a plan better than ours.  All you have to do is trust Him and respond to this calling. This calling has nothing to do with your plans, your agenda, your dreams and goals. This has everything to do with God’s plans, agenda and goals for your life. This is better for you and the best choice for you.  All you have to do is follow! The only thing Peter and the other disciples did was stop what they were doing for themselves and follow His leading for others. I know that many of us in life love to be in control of everything! But when it comes to God we have to give Him the control. That is what trust is [reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence]. You are relying upon the integrity and strength of God for your life. It is placing your life into the His hands.

3) Make a sacrifice! The price of salvation costs you nothing, but for the price of anointing [power and ability to act] will cost you everything.  You will have to sacrifice a lot in order to follow God.  Sometimes this means canceling plans, bad relationships, corrupt behavior patterns and habits.  You have to go to “school” a couple days in the week to study and grow in the Word.  Once a week is not enough especially if you need to study in depth.  College students have to sacrifice TV, social media, hang out times with friends, work hours and more just to get GOOD grades. That will be the same way for us as Christians. We don’t just want to pass to get by but we want to make the “Deans List”. Let’s put some effort to get on God’s list of the chosen.

Now from a pastoral perspective I will share my heart.  I can imagine how much it grieves the Spirit of God when we don’t respond to Him. When we place other things above Him that we think are more important than Him. When we choose things to take the place and time that belongs to God and give it to something else. In the same way, it hurts my soul when I see beautiful and gifted people for God decide to stay home often from church, bible study and prayer times that we have in our church. When they choose to fall back and not participate in church. They don’t want to be a part of the body of Christ. They don’t want to plant their roots in a church for growth. They are satisfied with just the first level of “just getting saved” when God wants to take them beyond salvation and into serving Him. But as His Word declares in Matthew 9:36-38, “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

This is the time to pray.  We will continue to pray that more people will respond to the call in order to work in the vineyard for God. God wants us to have a heart and vision for the nations. That is what He has commissioned us to do [Matthew 28:18-20]. Will you respond to the calling over your life. Will you be willing to put down your net so that God can give you an everlasting one. Our nets break. Our nets are temporary. But God’s net for our lives will never break because it is permanent. God’s net is more valuable. Even in responding to the call, it is not going to be easy, but it will be possible and so rewarding when you see God use your life as a testimony for others. You have a story to tell. You have a call and mandate for your life. There is a remnant [a small remaining quantity of something] of God’s people that will be used in powerful ways. Become a part of the few. All you have to do is look to Him and follow….

Will you make the decision today to leave your net for His?