“And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.” – Mark 1:20
Can you ever imagine doing what James and John did? Jesus called them and they immediately left their family business, their family, and their home. In a culture built around family and community, they literally left their dad behind in a boat with the staff to follow Jesus!
Their decision changed their lives, their futures, and the world. Their work as apostles (and Scripture writers in John’s case) began with this decision to fully, truly, totally follow Jesus. They didn’t know where He was going. They didn’t even really know Who He was. But they followed and everything changed.
Today, Jesus makes that same invitation to each of us. To follow Him. To truly commit our lives, not just a portion of them, to Him in obedience. For most of us, the call is to follow Jesus fully in the places we already are – family, friends, work, and community. For others, like James and John, the call is to something quite different than what we’ve always known. Regardless, the call of Jesus is still for you to truly follow Him with 100% commitment.
When we commit to follow Jesus, we may not know where it will lead, but we know Who travels with us, leading us, changing us, and strengthening us. We must not play around pretending to follow Jesus. When we do, we miss out on so much! We must truly follow. Where is Jesus calling you to follow Him? Follow Him!