World-Changers

“And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.” (Mr 1:18 AV)

What kind of person does it take to immediately drop what has defined their entire lives and follow Jesus Christ?  Simon and Andrew were in the family business.  They were working that day.  They were tending their nets when Jesus came by.  This was not merely a job.  Or even a career.  This was their lives.  They were following in the father’s footsteps.  Maybe their family business went even further back.  They lived in a fishing village.  Their entire lives were defined by the trade of angling.  To immediately drop everything and follow Jesus Christ into ministry means they had to see something others did not see.

Before the age of electronic verification, it was not all that uncommon for someone to lie about their age so they might enlist in the military.  George Brouse was an American who lied about his age and joined the Army at 15 years old in 1943, fighting in Tunisia against Nazi Germany. He was part of an estimated 25,000 veterans who did the same during World War II (Microsoft Copilot).  In many cases, these young warriors had no other options.  Often from abusive homes or inadequate orphanages, they would join up because they lacked direction and purpose.  However, one of the youngest, a twelve year old, joined the military for a completely different reason.  He did so, twice.  He joined and was found out several months later.  Sent home, he was determined to do so again.  It took some doing, but he was able to sign up and head to the front during WWI.  Found out again, he was sent home permanently.  What would possess this young boy to take up arms against an enemy?  Why would he not be content to stay at home, tend the farm, and grow up like any other young man?  It is said that he was compelled to fight that his country might not be overrun by those who would take it by force.  This young man saw much hard battles.  He would not settle for anything other than a rifle in his hand pointed at enemy soldiers.  Why?  What did he see?  What compelled him?  What was it about him that made him different from all the other twelve-year-olds?  The same thing that made the twelve disciples different from all others.  They saw something that others did not.

Simon and Andrew did not ask for a brief reprieve before committing to Jesus.  They did so immediately.  They did not ask to go tend to their father first.  They did not ask to return to their mother to say goodbye.  They dropped what they were doing and immediately followed.  Why?  Because they could define life as bigger than Self.  There was something far more important to do than anything and everything else.  It was more important than continuing in the family business.  It was more important than tending to their father or mother.  It was more important that cashing in their catch.  It was more important than life itself.  The body of Christ wants to change the world, but we do not want to pay the cost of doing so.  We are idle and dying because we cannot define life as something bigger than Self.  Yes, we have needs.  Yes, we have problems.  It is not that we ignore them.  Rather, it is that discipleship and the great commission are far more important.  Our needs and problems need to take a back seat to the lost soul who is heading towards damnation.  Our marital problems, financial problems, health problems, dreams, aspirations, and traditions may be a part of our lives, but they cannot be the focus.  World-changers can see things others cannot.  It is not that we cannot.  It is that we do not want to.  When Jesus said to look onto the fields that are ripe already unto harvest, He was not talking to those who had the gift to do so.  He was talking to us all!  If we want to change the world, we must see life bigger than Self.