Called To Obey Without Delay
At once they left their nets and followed him.
Mark 1:18
Procrastination. It’s a thief of time and the grave of opportunity.
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Two fishermen in Mark 1 were confronted with a command from the Savior: “Follow me.”
It was not a particularly convenient command, what with nets to mend, fish to catch, business to tend and families to care for. But there was no time to procrastinate. This was a clear statement of the Master’s will for them.
Charles Spurgeon, whose preaching prompted thousands to follow Christ, explains the danger of “later” in the life of a disciple.
WALK WITH CHARLES SPURGEON
“When they heard the call of Jesus, Simon and Andrew obeyed without delay. If we would always, punctually and with determination, immediately put into practice what we hear, it could not fail to enrich us spiritually.
“A person will not lose his loaf once he has eaten it; neither will a believer be deprived of doctrine once he or she has acted on it.
“Most readers and hearers are moved to the point of deciding to amend; but, alas! No fruit comes of it. They wait, they waver, and then they forget.
“That fatal ‘tomorrow’ is blood-red with the murder of good resolutions. The practice of truth is the most profitable reading of it.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
Even today, Jesus’ call to obedience doesn’t always come at a convenient moment. Obedience is often inconvenient; it has a cost.
When we hear a command of Christ, we often hear within us two conflicting voices: one a call to delay, the other a call to obey. You can’t answer both calls, for one excludes the other. But you must respond to one of them.
It’s not an easy decision; the appeal of both is strong. But remember, for some people, “later” has a way of meaning “never.” Disciples obey without delay.
