Mark 1:16-20

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
 

-Mark 1:16-20

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Do you ever sit there or lay in bed wondering what’s the purpose and meaning of life?  In the Christian worldview of reality, we are created to be in a relationship with God.  Our purpose and our destiny are fulfilled when we become friends with God and live our lives with Him and for Him.

When Jesus asked Andrew, Simon (whose other name is Peter), James, and John, to follow him, it wasn’t just a simple invitation to go geographically to where Jesus was going.  It was an invitation to a loving relationship that would transform them and the world for all eternity.  These disciples didn’t live an easy life following Jesus, but they lived a totally complete and satisfying life dedicated to pursuing God and God’s plan for each of them.

One of the hard things about this coronavirus quarantine is that it forces us to take a break from our regular schedules and allows us to take a step back to think about what’s really important in life.  And what’s hard is that for many of us, we don’t like where our life is headed.  We feel empty, without purpose, and just wandering aimlessly in life.

I believe this is the real reason why so many of us escape into video games, or K-dramas, or whatever else that can distract us from facing the question—“What’s my purpose here on earth?”  It’s a scary question.

But Jesus has the answer.  He would say the same thing to us as he said to his friends 2,000 years ago—“Come, follow me.”

I love how Jesus invites us and never forces us to follow.  The ball is in your court.  What will you do?