I WILL, I WILL!!!

Today’s Reading:
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in a boat with the hired men and followed him.” – Mark 1:16-20 (NIV, bolded mine)

“I will, I will,” Jacob called when I said that I was going to make cookies! He jumped out of the chair, while leaving his favorite movie, and ran into the kitchen. Jacob is four years old, and he is more than willing to do just about anything! Before we had all of the stuff gathered to make the cookies, he was already asking to help beat the cookie batter. Not only is he willing to help with the wonderful things, he’ll also help with the “not-so-wonderful” things.

Can we play a game later? I have to clean up the house…“I will help!”
I have to let the dog inside. “I will, I will!”
I have vacuum up the floor. “I will, I will!”
I need to take the trash outside. “I will, I will!”

Often, Jacob’s excitement overwhelms me. I just can’t seem to get to the part where he can help fast enough! I have always loved this story of Jesus calling the disciples, especially the part where He says, “I will make you fishers of men.” That’s the part where we get the song…”I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men…I will make you fishers of men, if you follow me.” I loved to sing that song anytime when my dad, brother, and I would go fishing in our lake…but today, and as the New Year approaches, I saw something different in this small piece of Scripture – I saw the willingness of the new disciples to leave everything and follow Jesus.

I’m never sure whether my campus minister is joking around when he says, “I want to quit my job, and go serve Jesus,” but in reality, that’s exactly what these men did. Something about Jesus caught their eye, and they left everything for it…and they didn’t take all day to do it or make up their minds and contemplate the meaning of life. Jesus called them, and “at once they left their nets and followed him!”

Just as Jacob is willing to do the wonderful things as well as the not-so-wonderful, these men were willing to leave their comfort zone (their job – it’s what they knew best – fishing) and follow Jesus. You don’t have to be an expert. (Jacob is certainly not an expert at baking cookies, nor vacuuming.) You just have to be willing.

Are you willing to go all out to serve Jesus in 2010? Can’t say it was always easy for these men to give up everything, but in the end…it was worth it!

God doesn’t ask for the experts…He only asks that you be willing. Will you respond like Jacob, and following ‘at once’ like the disciples? “I WILL, I WILL!!!”

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