This past gathering we spoke about how Jesus called Simon the Rock, and that he "left everything and followed him" (Luke 5:11). Through experience with life, we learn that no matter how much hard work, experience, skill, and wisdom we have, that our successes and "following the rules" leave us unsatisfied. Yet, through experience with Jesus, "we are continually surprised by how fruitful obedience to God can be." (Following Jesus: A Disciple's Guide to Luke and Acts, William Kurz, S.J.)
This obedience in following the call is unique to each of us. Shane Claiborne in "Irresistible Revolution" says, "The more I read the Scriptures, the more uncertain I become about my plans for the future, or even of the wisdom of making plans in the first place, since God seems to be in the business of messing them up… What would Peter have said? “Well, I was going to be a fisherman, but then I met this dude, and he messed all that up.” I remembered Mother Teresa saying, “Do not worry about your career. Concern yourself with your vocation, and that is to be lovers of Jesus.”… I heard about a group of massage therapists who spend their days washing and massaging the tired feet of homeless folks… On some of our marches for peace and justice, chiropractors join us in the evenings to take care of people’s tired bodies so that we will be ready for another day of marching… The examples are as numerous as the number of vocations. But the calling is the same: to love God and our neighbors with our whole lives, careers, and gifts.”
In determining how to answer this call, the two things that held back Peter tend to be the same things that hold us back, and cause us to say, "Go away from me Lord" (Luke 5:8). These are confessing our unwillingness, and confronting our unworthiness. Below are three simple prayers that I think can help us take one step closer to Jesus. Let's each pick one and pray to God this week:
• Lord, I confess that I attribute my success to my wisdom and my hard work. Please help me learn to attribute my hard work and my wisdom to your grace and generosity.
• Lord, I confess that not only feel unblessed, but feel that my hard work and effort entitle me to more than I have. Instead, I wish to be content with your relentless love for me.
• Lord, right now I prefer to live a life of illusion – where I follow rules, success, security, comfort, and predictability. Please help me leave it all and choose the authentic life of submission, depravity, insecurity, uncomfortability, and unpredictability. I want to leave behind following the rules and instead follow the Ruler.
May we grow in our understanding of how it is we can leave everything, and what it means to transition from following the rules, to following the Ruler - the Son of God.