As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were 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. Matthew 4:18-20 (NIV)
In Matthew 4:18-20, Jesus finds His first disciples at the beach and asks Peter and Andrew to lay down their nets and follow Him. They did.
At first glance, I wonder how a guy like Jesus got men to stop fishing; scripture did say it was their work. I haven’t had too many men say “no” when I’ve asked them to leave work to go play golf. I wonder, though, if Peter and Andrew were glad to be invited away by anybody, by somebody. Then later they found out that they were invited by the “Onlybody” to go on an adventure of their lives.
Lois Finley was that somebody in my life that came walking by my house inviting me to fish, to ride bicycles, to go rock hunting down in the canyon, to fly with her in her airplane, to go eat, or maybe one day to go to church. I remember Lois being larger than life because she was a 6’ tall redhead, and I had heard that she could do anything a man could do, and more. She was my hometown’s Amelia Earhart, and because God had blessed me with a relationship with her nephews, I had a new best friend and bodyguard. I remember Lois making every outing an adventure even if it was the most normal happening in her life–church. Many times she told me, “Lay down your nets; I’ve got something to show you¬—something important.” Many times she advised me to follow Christ. She asked me to follow God because He would let me know what I was supposed to do. Why did I listen to Lois? Why did I trust her and follow her? Well, I guess it was because I heard the way people spoke of her, she looked honest, and she took an interest in me. I wonder if Peter and Andrew heard the same things of Jesus so that when they met Him, they took Him as an honest man and loved that this rabbi took interest in them.
What are other people saying of us? Is anything at all positive?
When people see us coming, do we look honest and trustworthy?
Do people know that we have a special interest in them?
Prayer: God, help me that somebody—that the “ONLYBody”—can live in me so You can help me make a difference in anybody.
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You are receiving the devotionals that the pastors of Brookwood Church have prepared for ServeFest 2010. ServeFest was a community outreach that will take place on Saturday, November 20, 2010 in Greenville County, South Carolina. The devotionals following the Beatitudes series will resume on November 24, 2010.
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