Daily Devotion

by Scott Puthoff

And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” - Matthew 4: 19-20

It is an odd feeling of being at work with nothing to do.  This was the position I was in on December 2^nd, 2020 as I sat at my desk looking out the window.  It was my last day working for Hamilton County Public Health, an organization I had given over 14 years to.  I was over half-way to retirement.  I had good benefits.  I had job security.  I was walking away from all of it for a newly created position as the Director of Online Ministry at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.  What the heck was I doing?

I had wrestled with leaving the Health Department for nearly four years.  I did not want to give up my salary, benefits, or stability.  I was unhappy, but I thought I could make it work until retirement.  I couldn’t.  I felt trapped.  I had developed anxiety so bad that I could barely speak on the phone to people.  I was struggling mightily.  All signs pointed to me making a change, I just didn’t want to see them.

We all have nets that are weighing us down – things we need to leave behind in order to follow Jesus.  For Peter and Andrew, it was their fishing nets.  For the Rich Young Man in Matthew 19, it was his possessions.  For me, it was seeking the approval of others.  Once I was less concerned about the opinion of others, and more concerned about living a life that honored who I was, I was able to see my path more clearly.  

The end result of leaving those nets behind is not to work in ministry, although that’s where I’ve landed.  And it’s not to say that the journey is over, because it’s not.  I will likely be leaving nets behind for the rest of my life; the work of becoming a disciple of Jesus is never over.  I just hope that if you feel trapped like I did, that you can find the nets that you are carrying around.  And I hope that you are able to leave some of those nets behind today, tomorrow, or whenever you able to put them down.

4 comments on article "Daily Devotion"

Brenda

Very powerful. Thanks for sharing (and inspiring)!

2/12/2021 9:41 AM

Reply to

Sharon Feldstein

Thanks for sharing your struggle with leaving something sure, secure to follow your heart. It is hard, but worth the struggle.

2/12/2021 10:11 AM

Reply to

Chris Nagle

Thanks for sharing this and for the vulnerability. A lot I can personally take away from this (feeling trapped in certain areas of my life).

2/12/2021 11:00 AM

Reply to

Ron Schapp

Thanks for sharing. I have experienced that every day is a day to learn and each experience prepares us for the next step that the Lord leads us thru

2/12/2021 12:12 PM

Reply to

Leave a comment

Name:	Please enter a name.
Email:	Please enter an email address. Please enter a valid email address.

Comment:	Please enter comment.
I agree	This form collects your name, email, IP address and content so that we can keep track of the comments placed on the website. For more info check our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use where you will get more info on where, how and why we store your data. You must read and accept this rules.

Add comment