The Good LifeSýnishorn

COME AND FOLLOW

Living in a transient college town, I have noticed that all students are consistently asked two questions: “What is your degree?” and “What are you going to do after college?” Boiled down, these questions involve purpose and destination, and could alternatively be asked, “What is your purpose?” and “Where are you going to live out that purpose?”

Maybe we are not in a transitory season of life, but all of us crave answers to these deeply profound and personal questions. We yearn for a good life, one filled with purpose and meaning—a life where we successfully live out what we were designed and created to do. Unfortunately, the sad reality is that most of us feel like we are missing out on this so-called good life. And there are so many different reasons this could be. Maybe it’s the pressure of a million grueling choices we have to make, constantly afraid we might make the wrong decision and screw up our entire life. Maybe it’s the feelings of dread or despondency because of the monotonous, repetitious days we live out that seem to just run together. Or maybe it’s because we simply don’t know what our purpose is or how to seek it.

There is a beautiful scene in Luke 5:1-11 where Jesus calls Peter, James, and John to become His disciples, calling them “fishers of men.” Summed up, Jesus invites these individuals (and us!) into an abundant, purpose-filled life with Him. What Jesus offers is what we all desperately seek: to live a life filled with purpose, with intimacy, and with abundance. The narrative is beautiful. These professional fishermen had been fishing all night, and they had caught nothing. Then Jesus approaches and directs them to cast out their nets one more time. These fishermen knew that success was highly unlikely because the conditions were all wrong. It was day, and they were in deep water, while they knew that fish were caught at night and near the shore. In faith, they did what this holy man asked, and they were astonished to catch an overwhelming number of fish that filled multiple boats!

Jesus’ teaching, combined with His miraculous power, displays that He has the authority to call people into a purpose-filled life. He took fishermen, whose jobs were to catch live fish and kill them, and turned them into disciples whose life purpose would be to catch spiritually-dead people and show them where eternal life was found! How do we respond to Jesus’ first invitation “come and follow Him?” The journey of living the good life begins with this first step: to accept Jesus’ invitation into a relationship with Him, believing that he is God in the flesh, that He died for us, and that He victoriously rose from the dead.

ASK YOURSELF: In this narrative, Peter displays three important qualities that Jesus seeks in His followers: to be willing to go where Jesus leads, to be humble, and to be committed to Jesus’ mission of helping people find and follow Him.

• Of these qualities, where could you take steps of faith?
• Spend time in prayer asking God to help you in this area!