Matthew 9:9

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

How easy is that? Two words, two words is all that Christ has to say for Matthew to follow him. Wouldn’t that make your life much easier? You wouldn’t have to wonder which profession Christ was leading you into. You wouldn’t have to worry about what school to go to, who to hang out with, and if this or that was ever going to happen. But at the same time isn’t that difficult? Two words are all that were used. Can you imagine following someone whom you have never met, when all they say is simply “Follow me?” I think it would be awful difficult. So let’s look at another example. In the fourth chapter of Matthew a very similar phrase is used. In verse 19 Christ again (speaking to Peter and his brother Andrew) and says “Come, follow me.” But this time Jesus gives them more detail. Peter and Andrew were out at sea fishing when Jesus called them, and after he told them to come follow him, he let them know what they were going to be doing. Christ says “and I will make you fishers of men.” Just a few more words, but this time Christ lets them know what they will be doing. The same result happened as with Matthew. Peter and Andrew left their nets and began to follow. Christ continues to call us even to this day.

First of all he simply says “Follow me.” We as brothers and sisters in Christ are called to be his disciples. We are called to spread the Word, called to make disciples of nations, sharing the Word with everyone we can. Matthew 28:19 says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

But when it comes down to our daily life or what we will do when we grow up it may not be as easy to distinguish which path God is leading us on. Yes we will always be called to share his Word, but what about your profession, or where you will live, or go to school, the list goes on and on. I have never really been 100% sure of what I want to do after college. My mind has gone back and forth and round and round in circles. I am not as lucky as some who have known what they wanted to do since they were little and actually stuck with it. I know a friend of mine has always wanted to do mission work and is actually in that process now after graduation. I haven’t always known I wanted to work with kids, or be an accountant, or construction worker, or farmer, or personal trainer. My mind has always wondered what God has in store for me. Opportunities open and close. Decisions come and go. But one thing remains constant, I know that in whatever it is that God leads me to do and whenever it is that I finally see what He has planned, I know that I am going to do my absolute best to spread his Word, and walk in His ways, to the glory of his holy name.

To wrap everything up, at church last Sunday we had a reading from the book of Isaiah the sixth chapter. And verse 8 really hit me, and I think it applies here so I will leave you with it:

“Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”