Answering the Call

Mark1:17-18

And Jesus said to them come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they immediately forsook their nets and followed Him.

Forsaking what is familiar to go into the unknown is not easy. What if we haven’t discerned properly? What if it doesn’t work out? What if I quit what I know and find out that I am not cut out for the new? Peter knew how to fish he was good at it. His family had been fishermen for generations he was practically born on a boat but now this man Jesus whom he admired greatly, who he thought was indeed the Messiah had said to him “follow me.” And the scripture says he “dropped his nets and followed him.”

Os Guiness in his book “The Call” says that there is no call without a “caller.” In other words our call is not some arbitrary thing it is from the mouth of the Master. As we read God’s word we see person after person struggling with answering God’s call. Moses was afraid he could not speak well enough; Gideon said he was not from a large enough tribe; and Elijah decided he was the only one faithful. Sometimes it is others who doubt us. They said that David was just a boy and that Paul could not be trusted. I have found that the following four fears often keep us from fulfilling our call:

• Fear of criticism—What will everyone think?
• Fear of the supernatural—What will happen to me?
• Fear of inadequacy—How can I handle this?
• Fear of change—How will this change my life?

Remember there is no call without a caller and our answer is in direct response to the one who created us! My prayer is that I will say Lord when you call help me to faithfully answer.