A Deep Change
Good Morning Friends,
A French Philosopher, Descartes, once said, “I think, therefore I am.” It is a famous phrase. But if you can say, “I work for God, therefore I am,” then this opens up a whole new existence. You see, the means of life is only the purpose of life when one is following Jesus. Writing about this is, of course, easier than doing it, for the way of change requires taking risks and facing the possibility of
failure. Here the person who provides vision and motivates is exhibiting transformational behavior. Here the person who analyzes problems and completes tasks is exhibiting transactional behavior. A leader should exhibit both behaviors, but the reality is that a majority, including myself for the most part, stay in the transactional mode. We catch fish but not men. But friends, do not make a mistake on this! Transformation is not a series of shallow transactions, for that leads to a slow death, but one of life everlasting through a profound and A Deep Change.
Scripture: Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV)
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NIV)
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11 (NRSV)
Message: Today’s scripture readings are about the deep things of God. One is of a scene of Jesus’ calling his first disciples at the place we know best as the Sea of Galilee. There, Jesus called fishermen who failed to catch any fish all night long to be his disciples and continue the work of The Way. There, the fishermen were advised by the unusual guidance of Jesus, to experience something astonishingly abundant…they were called to follow him. People in all walks of life live by some philosophy, if even only unconsciously. For example there are three philosophies of life illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan as an answer to the lawyer testing Jesus. They reflect Jesus’ deep understanding of us in the characters of the robber, the priest and the good Samaritian…..”What’s yours is mine and I’ll take it.” “What’s mine is mine and I’ll keep it.” And, “What’s mine is ours and we’ll share it. So too the story of the selection of the disciples presents us with a philosophy of life. Here Jesus teaches us to change from a shallow expression of life into a deeper one. Here our dream should be changed, in the hands of God, to an even bigger dream….not just catch fish but catch men… not just stand on the bank or wade in the shallows but discover the dynamics and power in the deep water. Friends, where there is danger in the deeper level of life, there is God’s grace. Like repentance we are not looking for incremental change but a profound one which we do not control. Friends, Christian faith assures us that life finds its deepest meaning through relationships with other persons and most profoundly, with God. Our greatest joys and our greatest sorrows so often come through human relationships. When things are right in our human relationships, there is a sense of well-being and of fulfillment. When things are wrong in our human relationships, there is frustration, emptiness, and loneliness. Friends, my advice is not leave your life’s work just yet. Experience the bigger dream God has prepared for you first. Yes, embrace a life that is willing to go deeper even if the risk is a little frightening. Be prepared when Jesus comes calling you to not just success but significance.
Pray we repent and acknowledge that change is needed. Pray we thirst for vision and direction. Pray we not accept things as they are but make a deep change in our lives. Pray we face our fears and be open to failure, experimentation, and uncertainty. Pray we stop pursuing just the next task. Pray we enlarge our perspectives. Pray we think beyond proven paths that led to past success. Pray we take risks. Pray we realize that sometimes, we have to do things without asking for permission. Pray we resist the pull to conform. Pray we align our inner values with our external tasks. Pray we develop an empowering environment that generates energy. Pray we are both technical and relational. Pray we have integrity. Pray we have a vision from within that inspires and motivates others. Pray we experience a deep change.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 