“At once they left their nets and followed him.”
— Mark 1:18
I’ve learned something about humans.
You sure do like to hold onto stuff.
Now, dogs aren’t completely innocent here.
I’ve got an old tennis ball that’s barely a tennis ball anymore. Half the fuzz is gone, it’s got a crack down one side, and my human has tried to throw it away more than once.
I keep bringing it back.
It’s mine.
The other morning, as my human was sitting with his Bible and coffee, he began reading about Jesus walking beside the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting their nets.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said.
And they did.
Just like that.
They dropped their nets and followed Jesus.
I looked over at my human.
He was quiet.
That usually means something has gotten past his head and landed somewhere around his heart.
Finally, he said, “I wonder what nets I’m still holding onto?”
Nets?
I know a little about those.
They catch things.
But they also hold things.
And maybe that’s the question.
What are we holding on to?
Those fishermen weren’t necessarily doing anything wrong.
Fishing was their livelihood.
Their nets represented work, security, routine, identity, and everything familiar.
But when Jesus called, they had to decide whether they trusted what they were holding more than the One calling them.
Maybe our nets aren’t made of rope.
Maybe they’re comfort.
Money.
Plans.
Pride.
Fear.
Control.
A job.
A relationship.
An old hurt we’ve carried so long we don’t remember who we were before it.
Maybe it’s even something good that has quietly become more important than following Jesus.
That’s when I thought about my old tennis ball.
Hard to follow somebody when you refuse to drop what’s in your mouth.
My human scratched behind my ears and said, “Sometimes following Jesus means letting go before you know exactly where He’s leading.”
Now that’ll preach.
Simon and Andrew didn’t ask for an itinerary.
James and John didn’t request a five-year plan.
Jesus simply said,
“Follow Me.”
And they dropped the nets.
Maybe that’s what faith looks like sometimes.
Open hands.
An uncertain road.
And enough trust in Jesus to take the next step.
So maybe today the question isn’t whether Jesus is calling.
Maybe the question is:
What’s your net?
What are you gripping so tightly that you can’t fully follow Him?
Because there comes a moment when you’ve got to decide.
Hold onto the net…
Or follow Jesus.
As for me?
I’m still working on that tennis ball…
But it may be time to let it go.
Prayer: Lord, show us our nets. Give us the courage to drop whatever keeps us from fully following You. And when we don’t know where the road leads, help us remember that knowing Who we’re following is more than enough. Amen.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
