Matthew 4:12-25
When you are called to leave your current geographical residence, job, or familiar daily life, you are faced with a decision. Do you accept the call or reject it? If you are a pastor, chances are, you have been through this process once or twice, perhaps more. A call from God can come in direct fashion, through leaders of churches, organizations, businesses, or in any creative way God chooses. When you are on the receiving end of a call, you do not hear an audible voice yet the message can be heard loud and clear, especially when you have taken the time to listen, pray, seek counsel, and meditate. Our lives are complicated and se can easily become settled. Accepting a call will inevitably disrupt the normal routines of life and will also normally affect family and other relationships. In today’s Gospel account, Jesus calls James and John and it without hesitation, they immediately follow Jesus. Their lives were changed forever. Perhaps we do not have all the information in relation to the dialogue, actions, and emotions involved, yet we know they accepted the call. God may not call us to be missionaries to Africa but he may call you to youth ministry, to build houses for Habitat for Humanity, or lead a Bible study. The list is endless. The bottom line is this: God is calling you to do something for the Kingdom because God has given you unique gifts and God wants you to be a steward of those gifts to impact lives. God is calling you to discipleship.
