The Gospel calls us to live life differently. We see an example of that in Luke 5:11 where Jesus calls Peter, James, John, and Andrew to follow Him, to make them fishers of men. They dropped their nets and did just that. They left everything to follow him. They lived their lives differently from that point on.
The overarching theme for discipleship in Luke’s Gospel is complete detachment from material things. That is counter-cultural in our society where we tend to measure success and happiness by how much stuff we have. We seem to place our trust and our sense of safety and wellbeing in the home we live in, how nice a car we drive, how many shirts and pairs of shoes are in our closet.
We see in the example of the disciples and the lives of the saints that that’s just not important. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we’re to be different. We are to detach from the consumeristic drive for more and more stuff, drop it, leave that stuff behind like Peter and his brothers left their nets, and put God first. This is living stewardship. Stewardship is the call to live simply, be vulnerable and humble. To acknowledge that doing God’s will and loving our neighbor is more important than accumulating assets because, in fact, we do leave it all behind.
What are you proud of and what do you hang on to that gets in the way of putting God first in every area of your life? Jesus calls us to leave everything behind and follow Him. What cultural expectations stop you from leaving your safety nets, giving courageously, and trusting Him to provide all that you need? How can you detach? Whatever it is that you cling to so tightly, bring it to the Cross, leave it there, and receive God’s love and mercy. Then give thanks to the Lord with all your heart. Sing His praise (Psalm 138:1-2). Put God first ahead of everything. Embrace a life of stewardship and declare along with the prophet Isaiah in Ch. 6:8, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”
Photo Credit: Robert Davis
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