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 send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him. — Matthew 4:18-22 (NIV)
Checklist Christianity has conditioned the church at large to believe that following Jesus is all about what we are doing at church and what others can see, blocking the simplicity and power of following Him. How much we are serving, how many ministries we are plugged into, how much we are giving that others can see. All good things, but oftentimes these actions make us believe we are following Jesus, but many are just following the church line, living totally disconnected from the Vine.
Yep . . . I’m going there.
Why?
Because our faith-walk and all that Jesus paid for are at stake here.
The life that Jesus died for is being blocked based on human understanding and a generation of people who have been led to believe that this is what being a Christian should look like. Here’s the thing: I have talked with hundreds of believers, and most of them desperately need a real touch from a real God who said, “I will never leave you,” but they feel left by Him. They have become “burned out on religion.” Some are still going through the motions, and some dropped out completely. Serving in ministry has replaced intimacy with God, blocking the ripple effect that was intended. We are too burned out on doing, believing that we are following Him. The ministry that started over 2,000 years ago was an overflow of a life-changing encounter with Jesus as they dropped their nets, gave freely, and walked with Him, releasing the Kingdom everywhere they went. It was a natural overflow of what they received from Him.
What’s stopping so many of us today?
As a Church body, are we truly dropping our nets and following Him?
We are flooding into churches weekly.
There are more ministries and activities for any category of life to plug into, drawing the masses in, but what is going on in between that leaves so many burdened and weary by life?
I was reading these familiar passages in Matthew: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” — Matthew 5:14-15 (NIV)
What the Lord whispered to my heart shook me. He said: “My church is like a bowl. My children are lighting up the inside of a building, but not the world.”
Yikes! How did we get here?!
What we have is a generation of people who are struggling to understand what it means to truly drop their nets and follow Jesus. Without realizing it, many have built “safety nets’’ of false comfort, clinging to people, ministries, even the activities inside of a building. Then, they struggle even more when the perceived safety net does not provide the lasting comfort they need. The Holy Spirit continued to speak into this and showed me how His children don’t really know how to drop their nets and follow Him, because, again, our faith walks are built around the projected checklist.
This has cost us so much, including negatively affecting our ability to know what it means and looks like to live by faith, to follow Him, and to be bold enough to light up the world around us.
Church and community are highly important, but are we sharpening our ability to press in and hear God with a willingness to unashamedly follow Him?
Are we filled with the boldness to be a light to the world outside of the church, or is this church-way keeping us busy inside of the building and causing a barrier in our walks with God, limiting our “faith journey” to our perceived checklist?
More often than not, we go to church, do life with our small group, and drive straight into our garages.
I have even spoken to many who are genuinely afraid to talk to people with different belief systems in fear of what they will say or do. We shy away from allowing the Holy Spirit to use us in casual conversations with neighbors or in the workplace because we have been so busy building safety nets in our lives, building our kingdom, and compartmentalizing our Christian “faith” to only what we do within the church walls. From there, our church community becomes our safe place because we haven’t learned that our true safe place is found in Jesus.
The church building has become our net.
We have to get past this wrong desire to surround ourselves with only like-minded believers and hide. The world is hungry and dying (literally) for what we have, and it was not meant to hide under a bowl, but to light the world up with eternal life and hope in Christ!
We don’t even know what it means to light up our neighborhoods, grocery stores, and playgrounds.
What we have done instead is form cliques (created nets) with the “like-minded.” We are so uncomfortable with those who don’t believe to the point that we remain silent, sometimes even harshly judging them rather than loving them and finding opportunities to share the good news. We are piling into church week after week, relying on the pastor to do it all, when we are disciples of Christ called to respond to Jesus, drop our nets and go.
Our pastor/pastors (or elders) are the Shepherds of the house called to serve and protect, teaching us biblical Truths. They encourage us to get away with Jesus, read our Bibles, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and then follow His lead in our lives. We have to put all we’ve been taught into practice, creating a ripple effect to those outside the church, lighting up the environments and territories that God has called us to:
Our homes.
Our workplace.
The playground where our kids play.
The sports field.
The grocery store, and everywhere in between.
My husband and I were out on a date recently when I noticed a woman sitting with a bandaged foot propped up on a chair. I casually asked her what she did and she shared the story of how she broke her foot, requiring surgery. She went on to share her disappointment because they had a family vacation coming up. I felt a boldness rise up in me that I knew was the Holy Spirit nudging me to pray. So, I told her we were going to pray healing for her foot! Her eyes were shocked and she welcomed the idea. She let me gently place my hands on her bandaged foot and I prayed a very simple prayer for healing in Jesus’ name. After the prayer, I looked up to see tears in her eyes. She said the prayer made her cry. We both felt God’s comfort come over us. I left her with my phone number so that I could get her updates and have more opportunities to share the love of Jesus with her. She was so moved that I took the time to pray with her and her husband voiced he was equally thankful.
This was such a beautiful opportunity to share God’s love with them through a simple prayer of faith. I experience these divine appointments all the time. I just ask God to fill me with boldness and for opportunities to be a light in my daily life.
That’s all it takes—asking the Holy Spirit to fill us with boldness and give us opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our everyday lives.
This is what it looks like when we drop our nets and follow Jesus.
I am not a bold person by nature. I had to drop the nets of shyness and fear of making a fool of myself. I had to become more aware of the Holy Spirit in me than the weird looks I might get from those around me.
You’d be shocked at how many strangers will say yes to your public prayers and how many onlookers smile when they witness these random acts of faith. Honestly, I’m not sure who is more blessed . . . me or the person I prayed for. It’s a high honor to be used by God in this way.
All too often, being all in for Jesus looks like being all in with everything that is going on inside the building, not even considering what needs to be done in our daily lives that actually reflects God’s glory because we haven’t learned how to respond to Him. We have a bazillion churches that we are piling into week after week, but are we growing personally, thriving in our daily walks, filled with a contagious peace and joy, yielding to the Holy Spirit, releasing all we have found in Him to the world around us?
We are supposed to be freely giving away everything He has given us.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! — Matthew 10:8 (NLT)
For most, our Christianity has been boxed into a belief that if we are going down the checklist we are on track.
God has a much bigger vision in mind for His children.
God’s design for His church is to be mobilized.
Churches are to be an equipping center for disciples to be taught what it means and what it looks like to have a personal walk with Jesus with a willingness to drop our nets, step into a life of bold faith, and light up the world around us.
Let’s decide today that we are done missing out on the facets of God Almighty that Jesus paid for by releasing our nets, and learn to run with bold faith!
The disciples were called, they dropped their nets, stepped into an abundant, fully satisfying life, and walked with Jesus. They went from a mundane and ordinary life to a life filled with awe and wonder. This life is the invitation of the Father’s heart for each of us.
What’s the Holy Spirit highlighting to you today?
What safety net have you built for yourself that God is asking you to drop so you can truly follow Him?
Take the time to release each one to God, open your heart wide and hear what He has for you.
“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” — John 10:27 (NIV)
You have been called by name, drop your net, and respond to Him.
