I went bungee jumping once. Jumping would be a generous description. I got to to the top of the tower, looked down, and more or less leaned over and let gravity do the rest. There was no spring in my legs or lift off from my feet. As I barreled down to my certain death, I thought, “Why did I do this?” After several bounces, I finally rested in the airbag underneath me. It took a leap of faith to do it. When Jesus called his disciples to follow Him, it took another kind of leap of faith.
Matthew 4:19
“And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Into the Unknown
These words changed these men’s lives. They were fishermen by trade, a demanding profession that often meant being up all night. Some nights were successful, but many weren’t. Now a rabbi comes and tells them to leave their nets because he will make them fisher of men. He was asking them to take a leap of faith from something they grew up doing to the unknown. Following Jesus is always a leap into the unknown, but they did it without hesitation and, in the process, was part of changing the world.
It Will Stretch You
Following Jesus is always a leap of faith. We can put our faith in Him and expect to remain the same. He is going to stretch us and put us in situations where we can only trust in Him. That is part of the process of transforming us into His image. He wants you to look more like Him and less like the world. You may get called into full-time ministry or walk across the street and share the Gospel with your neighbor. Whatever it is, it will take faith.
Leap of Faith
Are you sitting on the fence trying to decide if you will take a leap of faith? Has God called you to serve Him in some way, and you have been hesitant? I’m not here to tell you to jump or to tell you it will be easy. That would be disingenuous. Following Jesus isn’t for the faint of heart, but it is worth it. If you take that leap, Jesus will be with you the whole way.