Adventure or Fear?

Matthew 4:20 “At once they left their nets and followed him.”

I’m definitely a stick-to-your-plans type of person. Once I set my goal I hold on to it like a dog with a bone. That’s why when I had the thought to remain an extra day in Ohio to write before heading home, I surprised myself by even considering it. The pros and cons of what to do resembled a tennis match in my mind…. back and forth…back and forth. But you know what took me off guard? I recognized a part of me that was simply afraid to alter my plans.

Following the plan makes me feel secure. I’m comfortable with patterns.  Without plans and patterns a lot in life would fall to the wayside. But when we get so locked into a particular blueprint that we’re afraid something bad might happen if we don’t follow it, we’ve misplaced our security. And also killed any hope of spontaneity and adventure.

When Jesus called his first disciples, they were fishing. Peter, Andrew, James and John no doubt had their plans set for the day. But when Jesus called them to leave their nets and follow him, they did.  And without hesitation. They had no idea their ‘yes’ was going to turn the world upside down, but they knew enough to alter their plans and go. What if they had refused to shift gears?

As Christians, we know the importance of walking in God’s will. The only time we ought to worry over our decision-making comes when we treat God’s will recklessly. If our desire is to please him in all we do, we can trust him to show us if we’re manipulating our plans to please ourselves more than him.

This is not about failing to keep commitments or reneging on our promises. Dependability is a tremendous virtue (Matthew 5:37). It’s about opening ourselves up to the unexpected when the unexpected calls. It’s about being ready if someday he tells us to stop what we’re doing, leave our nets and follow.

So, let’s not be afraid to embark on the adventure God lays before us. Let’s not depend on our plans for security but on the One who says, “Come. Follow me.”