Trustful Surrender
“They left everything and followed Jesus.” (Luke 5:11 NLT)
Simon Peter and his friends were fishermen. After an unsuccessful night of fishing, they had given up. Jesus used their boat as a platform to speak to the crowds. Afterwards, Jesus asked the fishermen to cast out once more into the deep. Reluctantly, they obeyed Jesus’ instructions. Then, they had a boatload of fish! Thus far, the story is pleasant. If it stopped here, we could say the moral of this incident is: Allow God to use you and He will make you prosper. But Jesus invites these men to something new and uncertain. This mission is beyond their skill set or understanding. It would make more sense for them to cash out on their big catch, settle their debts, and take care of themselves. Instead, they leave everything and follow Jesus.
These days, if you retire at the end of your career to travel, pursue hobbies, or just relax on a beach--that would be understandable. It goes against all common sense for anyone to leave their livelihood at the peak of success--especially to serve God. From a worldly perspective, this is foolish and crazy.
“[God says] Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend - it must transcend all comprehension. Plunge into the deep waters beyond your own comprehension, and I will help you to comprehend even as I do. Bewilderment is the true comprehension. Not to know where you are going is the true knowledge. My comprehension transcends yours.” (Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship)
The early disciples made the radical choice to give up their self-sufficiency and trustfully commit to Jesus. They left everything--their identity, security, agency, relationships, sense of competency, ambitions, and dignity--to follow a path that they could not even comprehend.
Commitment to Christ is costly. Detaching from worldly attachments is deeply uncomfortable, especially when you can’t understand why you are renouncing things that are familiar and pleasurable. Trust and obedience are key to discipleship. Self-emptying can make space for God. The less independent and secure we feel, the more we are compelled to rely on the Lord.
Lord, I don’t know where You are taking me. This makes me nervous. I want to trust You and completely surrender to Your will. Grant me the grace to detach from everything and follow You.