When Jesus Calls Us Away From the Familiar
Matthew 4:21
“Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them.” — Matthew 4:21
There is something easy to overlook in this verse.
James and John weren’t wandering around looking for a new direction in life. They weren’t sitting around waiting for something exciting to happen.
They were working.
They were in a boat with their father, preparing their fishing nets. This was familiar territory. Fishing was their livelihood, their routine, and most likely the family business they had grown up around.
And right in the middle of ordinary life, Jesus called them.
God Can Call Us in Ordinary Moments
Sometimes we imagine that encountering God’s purpose will happen during some dramatic spiritual experience.
But often, God meets us right where we are.
James and John were simply preparing their nets.
They were doing the work that was in front of them.
Then Jesus came.
This reminds us that we don’t have to have everything figured out before God can use us. We don’t have to be in the perfect place spiritually or professionally.
God can interrupt an ordinary day with an extraordinary calling.
A conversation can change your direction.
A Bible verse can suddenly speak directly to your heart.
An opportunity to help someone can become the beginning of a ministry.
A quiet conviction can lead you somewhere you never expected to go.
Never assume that an ordinary season means God isn’t doing anything.
Sometimes He is preparing us for the moment when He says, “Come.”
They Were Preparing Their Nets
There is another small detail worth noticing.
James and John were preparing their nets.
Fishing nets needed attention. They had to be repaired, cleaned, and made ready for the next catch.
There is a lesson here for us.
We may not always know what God is preparing us for, but we can faithfully take care of what He has placed in our hands today.
Keep learning.
Keep growing.
Keep praying.
Keep serving.
Keep becoming the person God is calling you to be.
The preparation may seem ordinary now, but God may use it later in ways you cannot yet see.
Jesus Called Them Personally
Jesus didn’t simply walk past the boat and make a general announcement.
He called James and John.
Throughout Scripture, we see a God who calls people personally.
He knows our names.
He knows our strengths.
He knows our weaknesses.
He knows our past.
And He knows what He can make of our future.
You may look at yourself and think, Why would God use me?
But Jesus didn’t begin His ministry by searching for the most impressive religious scholars in Israel. He called ordinary fishermen.
God’s ability to use you isn’t determined by how impressive you feel.
It is determined by His power working through a willing heart.
Sometimes Following Jesus Means Leaving Something Behind
James and John were sitting in a boat with their father when Jesus called them.
That makes this calling deeply personal.
Following Jesus wasn’t simply about changing jobs. Their fishing life represented family, security, routine, and everything familiar.
Sometimes following Christ requires us to loosen our grip on something comfortable.
That doesn’t always mean physically leaving our families or careers.
Sometimes what we leave behind is fear.
Sometimes it is an old habit.
Sometimes it is our need to control everything.
Sometimes it is a dream we had for ourselves because God is leading us toward something different.
Following Jesus often involves trust because He doesn’t always show us the entire road before asking us to take the first step.
What Is Jesus Calling You Toward?
Maybe you don’t feel like you’re standing at some huge crossroads today.
Maybe you’re simply repairing your own version of fishing nets—going to work, caring for your family, paying bills, doing chores, and trying to make it through another ordinary day.
Don’t underestimate what God can do in the ordinary.
Jesus walked up to a fishing boat and called two men whose lives would never be the same.
He can meet us in our ordinary places too.
The question isn’t whether our lives look impressive enough for God to use.
The question is whether we’re listening when He calls.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for meeting me right where I am. Help me recognize Your voice even in the ordinary moments of my life. Give me the courage to follow You when You lead me beyond what is familiar and comfortable. Help me faithfully prepare the things You have placed in my hands today, trusting that You are preparing me for what comes next. When fear makes me hesitate, remind me that I don’t have to know the whole journey—I simply need to know the One I am following. Amen.
Reflection
What “nets” are you preparing in this season of your life?
And if Jesus asked you to step away from something familiar in order to follow Him more closely, what would be the hardest thing for you to leave behind?
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