The road to success is paved with the temptation to cross over the double yellow line. Sometimes it may SEEM to make sense to cross over that line. If you want to be successful however, trust the word of Jesus even if it doesn’t make sense…..don’t cross over that double yellow line. Trusting in Jesus is hard because it takes true trust—we don’t know the future. We may be able to see some distance down the road, but we can’t see what’s coming around the bend. Jesus can! At first we may be going through the motions because we know it is the right thing to do…but in a short time we will be able to see the blessing in applying the principals, God’s wisdom, in all areas of our life.
How do you think these fisherman felt, taking advice from a carpenter turned preacher? Didn’t they know fishing? After all, it was their business. Still, there was something in Jesus that caused them to trust him. He did not ask them to do something immoral or wrong–just something that did not seem to make sense.
Luke 5:4-6 (TNIV)
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
Be willing to take risks by doing what is right. When Jesus asked the disciples to go out, it was into the deep water.
I lay there night after night in Daytona Beach in 1983 realizing that my life was spinning out of control. I was addicted to being high, staying high, on most anything I could get my hands on. I couldn’t hold a job that was going anywhere, all my relationships revolved around people who knew I was a user. I was losing dangerously close at running of the road and crashing and burning.
I remember realizing that there was an answer when I had tried so many “answers”. I recognize that this answer came from God. The answer was to go back into the military where a new drug program had been recently unveiled……get caught once on a urinalysis and your out!
This was the point in my life where I decided to take the risk of doing things in Godly ways. Risk is a part of all achievement. Truth is, a risk-free life is terribly dull.
I cleaned up my life and got off drugs, joined the Army a second time and took a risk with my future. No more status quo of being a partier. I became respectful to women: no sex outside of marriage. When I married, I made our life about my wife, not about me.
Risk is a part of all achievement.
The same story from Luke 5:1-11 is found in the Gospel of Matthew as well as Mark. Look at what is recounted in Matthew:
Matthew 4:18-20 (TNIV)
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Fishermen made a better-than-average income, even if they had a bad night. Leaving their job was a risk that would probably affect their income. The key here is…Jesus said, “Come, follow me”. Every great enterprise takes some risk.
I feel like Jesus said to me in 1983, “Come, follow me Jan”. I did, I left the disfunctional status quo of my life and took a huge risk…….in my case, not only was this the best thing I ever did, my life has been normal ever since.
I could given in to the temptation of crossing over that double yellow line…..I could have continued simply hoping to clean up my life, trying and failing, trying and failing. I gave up that life and in the end……gained my life. GOT SUCCESS? Trust Jesus, trust His wisdom, and stay on the road!
Amen – thanks Jan for always being there and for your inspiration!
I appreciate you Eric 🙂 Wish you were here in the mountains to study with 🙂 May God bless you bro!