Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Immediately

As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. Mark 1:16-20 (NASB) Mark is the immediate Gospel. Everything in Mark happened suddenly or immediately. I have always found the urgency very, well, urgent. I do have to wonder - would I have followed immediately? I like to weigh my options, to think through things, and to process. I like to list pros and cons and make decisions based on careful deliberation. I over-think things. Even little things like what to wear or eat. Are there good reasons to wear or not wear that? What are the implications of planning that particular meal for that particular day? I know, it sounds a bit ridiculous. I have gotten better over the years, and now I'm trying to (figuratively speaking) beat the extremism of this type of behavior out of my eight-year-old. But, the truth is, my nature tends toward stopping and processing. It's not always bad. Although I still make impulse purchases, I am inclined to stop and process at least a little bit. Although I like some spur of the moment excursions, I am enough of a planner to make sure those spontaneous events don't supersede something scheduled. But, there are times when I need to be more immediate. The Lord puts me in circumstances at times that require action, immediate action. So, my challenge is to grow in the willingness and ability to follow my Savior immediately. To change plans spontaneously simply because He puts an opportunity in front of me. To let the plans that He has laid from before the foundation of the world take total, complete, and immediate precedence over anything - no matter how long my plans have been determined or how abruptly He informs me of His long-established plan. His comes first. Immediately.

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