Matthew 4:19, “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'”
During a discipleship meeting with my life group recently, some of us were sharing how busy life had become over the past few months. Whether it was new tasks at work, packed schedules, or preparing for some kind of change, it seemed like many of our plates were full to the brim. I, for one, was definitely feeling the challenge of change in life. Taking on a teaching role at Tyndale was a whole new experience for me. Though I had been preparing for this for a while, there was plenty of work for me to do that was demanding on my time and energy.
In our lives, Jesus asks us to follow him, just like he asked the disciples in the gospels. However, Jesus never guarantees that this is going to be an easy road. In fact, Jesus compares following him to walking through a narrow gate on a hard road (Matt. 7:13-14). Looking at my own life, most of the busyness I’m facing today is somehow related to following Jesus. Many of the things that are making me feel busy and sometimes anxious are related to what God is doing in my life.
While God doesn’t promise that the road will always be easy, one thing that he does promise is that when we follow him, he’ll be with us every step of the way. When we choose to listen well and obey quickly, we can trust that God will see us through the challenges we face in our decision to be obedient.
Listening well and obeying quickly puts us at the center of God’s will. When we focus on hearing God and obeying, we can have confidence that the work that God gives us is God’s work. And when we’re in the middle of God’s will, doing God’s work, God will always make a way. Regardless of how busy things may get or how chaotic life feels, when we are in the middle of God’s will and doing God’s work, we can trust that God will always make a way for us.
Hearing God and being obedient is no small task. But one thing we can be sure of is that when we decide to be obedient, God always gives us what we need to follow him. No matter what challenges come and how busy life becomes, God will pave a way forward, every time. That’s the joy and the challenge of listening well and being obedient. Will we choose to be obedient today? When we do, we can be sure that God’s grace and hand will be on us, every step of the way.