Do you ever think about how closely your typical day’s work aligns with your childhood dreams? From the moment a person is created, God’s still small voice is there, calling us to follow Him. One way He speaks to us from the very beginning of life is by giving uniquely designed interests, hobbies, and talents that make us feel alive and fulfilled. Do you remember what childhood passions and dreams naturally flowed out of you before adult responsibilities or pressures to fit in became predominant directors of your life?
I wonder if that thought crossed the minds of a few people we can read about in the Bible when Jesus called them to follow Him.
It was the end of a workday like all the others for Peter, James and John, cleaning their fishing nets and looking forward to getting home. It was a typical day on the job for Matthew, sitting at the tax booth collecting for the Romans and taking his cut. It was just another one of the 13,870 days the lame man sat by the pool waiting to enter its healing waters.
Until they heard the voice of Jesus.
As Pastor Mark highlighted in his sermon on Luke 5 (look at Part 3), the only way to live the [untainted] dream - a life of purpose and abundant soul satisfaction - is to listen to the voice of Jesus and Do That. But, paradoxically, the path to abundance comes at a worldly cost. The fishermen left their livelihood in a flourishing fishing economy, Matthew left his power and prosperity, and the lame man left his membership in an accepting community with whom he spent every day for thirty-eight years.
When Jesus said “follow me”, He spoke deeply to their core. It is the only way they could’ve walked away from everything in which they found security and identity. Jesus had tapped into the zeal in their hearts.
This zeal, what we commonly call passions, can get snuffed out by the love of money. Matthew didn’t dream of becoming a hated tax collector. But somehow he did. As a kid, he must have noticed he enjoyed numbers more than the other children. Maybe he envisioned himself as a land surveyor, an engineer, or an architect drafting plans for ancient buildings, bridges, or roads. Maybe he dreamt of being a mosaic artist using his skill with numbers and math to create intricate designs that depend upon exact measurements.
Passions can get snuffed out by insecurities. Having a life of idleness isn’t what the man by the pool fantasized about as a child. Maybe he had ideas and desires to create assistive devices so he and others with physical infirmities could do jobs like everyone else. Maybe he would have been a motivational speaker, of sorts, inspiring discouraged individuals to try again.
Passions can get snuffed out by the day-to-day routines. As a youngster who probably found himself as the neighborhood leader, directing what role each kid would play in their games, Peter probably didn’t imagine he would spend his days cleaning and fixing fishing nets. He may have wished to someday be a governor or other leader, helping his people restore their independence as a nation.
Even when circumstances prevent you from pursuing those childhood dreams, God will use that unique you for His eternal purposes; and in so doing will give you a life of genuine abundance and prosperity.
Following the voice of Jesus requires courage. It is risky. It is costly. Picture yourself once again as a child. When you did that thing you loved, did you feel bogged down by the worries of the world, or did you feel free to simply be? This is richness money can never buy. When we choose faith over fear we can discover this true abundance. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows we want to live lives of significance. He knows we want to use our talents. And He longs to fulfill these heart desires. Jesus still says today, “do not be afraid; follow me.”
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