Christian Living

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Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" (Mark 1:17, NLT)

"...Go higher, deeper in,
the call is clear,
it's time to follow.
We lift up His name,
it's the song we sing."
NCCC© 2011 Jesus Fellowship Songs
SongSolutionsCopyCare

I'm a kind of person who wants to know where we are going, before I sign up for the journey. There is often a whole lot of stuff to consider or plan for. No one knows what's around the corner.

So, the call to follow without knowing the destination is tough for me. I've had to focus on learning 'how to fish for people' instead of distinction. The ultimate destination is, of course, heaven. But we do travel through some places that are not entirely favourable to our taste.

In following Jesus, I have travelled through many places, some good and some not so good. The good ones have often come straight after I came out of a bad one. For example, I travelled through joy inexpressible many times after I faced up to some unpleasant truth about myself.

In one occasion, I had difficulty forgiving a friend who hurt me. The struggle to come through was painful! But after I surrendered the grudge I was holding against him and forgave him, I experienced joy inexpressible.

On a different occasion, I realised I lacked understanding people. I always had an agenda for relationships. There was no real love in my heart for others. I am ashamed to say that I only thought of what I could get out of relationships. After a long and painful process, I realised the ingrained tendency in me to use others for personal gain. By the grace of God, I faced up to it! Then came a freedom that has helped me experience true joy in friendship- something I could never have know, if I had not had selfish tendency of using others for personal gain purged out of me.

And as for learning how to fish for people, the Lord has been faithful! I have been learned how to love. It's an ongoing lesson and I know I will continue to make progress as long as I trust him.

'Following' may seem uncertain; it may even feel scary at times, but it's worth it. No one can truly become great without walking in the footsteps of Jesus and fully trust him.

As someone has put it, "we never know Jesus is all we need until He is all we have."

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