In Matthew 4:19, Jesus calls his first followers and invites them to “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Now it is important to understand the context. These were fishermen. They were standing knee deep in the water, and were mending their nets.
They smelled like fish.
They lived off fish.
These were not hobby fishermen, who went fishing for fun on occasion. These were men whose lives literally revolved around fish.
Sometimes this story is used to teach about the Christian's call to specific things, like evangelism, prayer, social justice, Bible reading, etc. But to be clear, Jesus really only asked these men to do one thing. To “follow him.”
It was in the following of Jesus, that he would reorient their lives from being centred on fish, to be centred on people. You see, by following him, he would show them his love for people and their lives would become oriented around people just like his was, and is.
Jesus’ invitation to them—and to us—is first to follow him.
It is not an invitation first to change the world or make a maximum impact or even to care for people. It is first and foremost an invitation to himself. Everything else flows out of this primary invitation.
Jesus knew—and knows—that it is all too easy for us to flip the order: to see our activity as the basis for our relationship with Jesus, rather than Jesus being the basis of our activity.
Jesus first in prayer
For example, we don’t pray primarily because it is a strategy to accomplish some good thing. We pray because we are invited to share with and hear from the living God of the universe.
The Maker and Sustainer of all things is eager to enter into the quietness of our day. He wants us to share our heart with him in worship, thanksgiving, and requests. He also wants to share his heart with us as we dedicate time to quiet our soul before the throne of grace.
We pray simply because we have access to God, through Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
If you don’t see Jesus as the primary motivation for your prayer life, the danger is that you begin to see him as a thinner, dark haired version of Santa Claus. And of course that is just going to be disappointing, because that isn’t who he is.
Jesus first in evangelism
The primary motivation to share our faith is not because we love people so much that we want to save them by preaching good news. The strongest motivation for evangelism is that Jesus so loves me that he died for me that I might be saved. That I might experience a life transforming relationship with him right now and forever and ever.
My daily experience of Jesus’ love is my best motivation.
It’s strange: The seasons of my life when I most pursued fruitfulness in evangelism were most unhealthy for my soul. I got trapped in a performance cycle that left me disappointed with my own inability to save those I cared about.
The seasons of my life I most pursued Jesus, and shared my experience of him with those around me have been the most fruitful. Aim at Jesus and fruit follows. Aim at fruit and you're asking Jesus to follow you—and that isn’t the way he works. (Check out John 15 if you don't believe me.)
Jesus first in our invitations
The primary motivation to recruit someone to an event or mission trip, to give a donation, or even to step up as a ministry leader is not because it’s the best way to use their time and money. The primary motivation in our invitations is help people consider what Jesus is doing in their life.
Every recruiting opportunity is about helping someone discern what Jesus is doing in their life. If we have something to offer that aligns, or encourages what God is doing, then fantastic! If not, we need to be very careful about pressing further.
Now that doesn't mean that just because P2C-Students has something that aligns with God's work someone should automatically join us. There maybe 100 other options that align to what God is doing, and so further discernment may be needed.
Jesus goes first
In all my activities, I try and remember that Jesus precedes me. Whether or not I yet see evidence, I trust that the Holy Spirit is already at work. As I interact with people, my goal is to discover with the other person what Jesus is doing, and if there's a part for me to play in this work.
If the goal of all my activities is to be with Jesus, I'm safe to simply follow. Any other motivation tends to stoke the fires of my pride and selfishness.
Besides, life is much more interesting, beautiful, and hopeful with Jesus. But it's often not be easy: he might ask you to leave behind your fishing nets.
