1-17-18 - What You Do Best

Jesus walked by a bunch of fishermen one day and recruited them away from their nets, their boats, their fathers and co-workers. He said only two things: “Follow me” and “I will make you fish for people.” However strange that phrase might sound to our ears, to them it must have conveyed at least this much: That he saw what they do, honored it, and promised to harness that gift for a wider purpose.

The gospels don’t revisit that expression, but we can look at the kind of training the disciples received from Jesus and see how he might have put their fishing instincts to good use:

• They learned to proclaim the Good News of the realm of God in all kinds of “weather,” to accepting crowds and skeptics alike;
• They learned to bait the hook with miracles that demonstrated the power they were proclaiming;
• They learned that they might have the biggest catches in the least likely places – among the poor and marginalized, downtrodden and downright sinful;
• They learned that they couldn’t keep everyone they hauled in – some went back;
• They learned that Jesus kept some they would have tossed back;
• And they learned that their instincts and techniques could help – but ultimately God controlled the catch.

Jesus didn’t ask them to stop being fishermen; he invited them to transfer those skills to making known the Realm of God. What do you do in your work, or in the pastimes by which you describe yourself, that Jesus might invite you to use in a broader missional adventure? Are you skilled with people? With organization? In listening? Discerning patterns? Creating community?

What in yourself do you most want to offer today for God to take and transform? 

Why not offer Jesus that in prayer?

I once complained to a spiritual director that my strong will got in the way of moving with God. He said, “Kate, God made your strong will. God will use your strong will as you align it with his.” 

This passage reminds us that when Jesus invites us to follow him, he expects we’ll bring along all of who we are and who we have been. Some of that will fall away as we get closer to him; more of it will be turned and honed and polished, maybe even fired and made beautiful and strong for God’s purposes, as coal becomes diamond.

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