My 2 year old is stuck on the Bible story of Jesus choosing His helpers. In his little Bible there is one page where all of the disciples, drawn in cartoon characters, are lined up with their names written above their heads. It is so funny to hear him say, "Thaddeus..." And to be honest he likes us to make up funny names as we go down the line. But what still sticks out to me from this story is how compelled these men were to follow Christ.
In the pages of my own Bible it says, for example, "Jesus...saw two brothers...casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him." (Matthew 4:18-20) And this wasn't the only time this happened. The next few verses show two other fishermen brothers, approached by Jesus in the same way, "and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." (Matthew 4:21-22)
They immediately followed? That just amazes me. What was it about Jesus that caused them to leave their entire livelihood behind and immediately follow Him? The truth? God compels--He, in and of Himself, causes man to drop to their face. These men were captivated by the Spirit of Christ. And to be honest, if we call ourselves Christ followers, we should have a similar affect on this world.
I was reading some compilations of the writings of Watchman Nee this morning. Paraphrased by Sentinel Kulp, Nee says, "The distinctive feature of true Christianity is that it compels people to receive." So again the question becomes, does my life and my faith compel others to look to God?
As we die to ourselves this day and allow His Spirit to flow freely through us, the curiosity of others will be aroused. The key? Dying to self. Oh, the days and hours can be so challenging. But amazingly God can use our little lives to point others to Him--the Giver of peace and joy. Now if only my kids will be compelled to immediately follow...my directives, that is.
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