Simple fisherman. Not necessarily poor, but they were either self-employed, or as in the case of James and John, they were a part of a family business. Nothing wrong with what they are doing for a career, but if you look deeper into why they’re doing it, you find encouragement.
All the good little Jewish boys didn’t take up the family business, or start out entrepreneurs in the beginning. They studied Old Testament laws and wanted to be accepted to follow a rabbi. It was actually quite a strenuous process they had to go through in order to be counted worthy and chosen to follow a religious teacher of the day. I won’t quite go through all of it here, but you had to be considered the best of the best to take on that role. It was a role that the disciples weren’t counted worthy enough to fill. Which is why they were fishing, or collecting taxes, etc.
So here’s what I see. I see 4 guys; Simon, Andrew, James, and John, already told they weren’t the best of the best by the religious leaders. Told to pursue another trade and forget about the life of ministry because, according to the religious leaders opinion, they didn’t have what it takes to be a religious leader. Then Jesus comes along and says, “follow me”. By asking them to follow him, Jesus says they can be like Him, He believes in them, they have what it takes, and they can be used by Him.
Jesus instantly gave these 4 guys a brand new identity. Everything changed in an instant. They weren’t looking for a man to teach them, they were looking for God to teach them. They weren’t looking to duplicate man, they were looking to duplicate Jesus.
Who is identifying you? Where are you looking for your identity? At what point did rejection alter the course of direction for your life? Remember this. God created you. Not man. Not your professor. Not even your pastor. I’m not saying they can’t and won’t help lead you. I’m not saying that if they tell you something you don’t want to hear, that they’re wrong. What I’m saying is don’t let mans qualifications limit you to what the holy spirit wants to do through you. Look to God for your identity. If your identity is created by any man other than Jesus, then you’re worshiping the wrong guy. Choosing to follow God will bring change. That kind of change is great. You may not understand it, but you need it. We all do. Let God decide who you need to be. Then follow Him as He teaches you how.
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