Today we’re beginning our online study through Healing the Father Wound. We’ll be talking about following God’s plan for your life.
The reading for today is Mark 1:1-28
And the verse that really stuck out to me as I wrote this chapter was Mark 1:17
Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (NKJV).
It is as we follow Jesus, that He works in our lives and creates us into who He called us to be.
But What does Following Jesus Really Mean?
Sometimes following Jesus means letting go of our own plans and ways of doing things.
In Verse 17, the disciples were doing what they had been taught to do; to fish. But Jesus called them to something higher.
In my own life, I felt in prayer to go to Bible college, and for several months I dismissed this, thinking that I couldn’t do that. My own plan was to be a librarian.
But as I stepped out in faith and went to Bible college, the Lord opened so many doors and did a healing work in me.
Ephesians 2:10 says
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (NKJV).
You were created for a very special purpose in this world, and as you follow Jesus, He will prepare you for following God’s plan for your life.
Throwing Off Expectations of Others
Sometimes following God’s plan for your life means throwing off the expectations of others.
In verse 19 of Mark chapter one, we see that Jesus calls James and John, and in the following verses, they leave their father in the boat with the hired hands to follow Jesus.
Galatians 1:10 says
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ (NIV).
Is there anyone in your life who has put expectations on you that maybe aren’t what you want for yourself, or are different than the way you feel God is leading?
If you have this in your life, ask the Lord to lead you, to guide you and give you the strength to throw off the expectations of others and to wholly follow Him.
But How Do We Do It?
In Mark 1, we see that the disciples literally and physically follow Jesus. They put their feet to the ground and follow Him.
But today, we follow Jesus by making time for Him in our lives. We make time to be in the Word of God, hear what God has to say, and apply what we’ve learned to our daily lives. We make time to be in prayer and listen to what the Holy Spirit would speak to our hearts.
And how that is put into practice is really between you and God. What do you have time for? What is your season of life? Don’t try to be like somebody else. Ask the Lord what works best for you and your season of life.
Continue
A very important word in following God’s plan for your life is the word, Continue.
As we continue day after day, to follow Jesus, allowing Him to lead us and guide us, we become more mature. We become more sensitive to His Spirit and more confident in walking according to the ways He leads us in. This is when we find ourselves following God’s plan for our lives, walking through the doors He opens for us.
You don’t have to figure everything out right away. You just begin.
An Example
As I started my podcast, I worked with a coach who already had a podcast, and one thing he said to me was, “The next podcast you record, I want you to publish it, because if you do not publish that first podcast, you will never get any better. You will never publish the next one.”
I think of walking with Jesus kind of in that way.
We’re not perfect.
We don’t know everything.
I think back to the time that I was just a babe in Christ. I made mistakes and I didn’t do things perfectly, but I kept moving forward.
As you continue to spend time in the Word, you will grow and mature and you will become more confident in following God’s plans for your life.
You take a step this day with Jesus, and He will lead you and guide you into the plans that He has for you.
A Vessel of Honor
I had a teacher in Bible college who talked about 2 Timothy 2:20-21.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work (NKJV).
This teacher said that when we make the time to be in God’s Word every day; when we apply to our lives what we’ve learned, and we spend time in prayer, letting God work in our hearts, that we become a vessel of honor, prepared for every good work.
God has a plan and a purpose for you. But to be prepared for that plan our first steps are to follow Jesus, to be in the Word, to be in prayer, and to apply what we’ve learned to our lives.
As you do, you will be fully prepared and have confidence in following God’s plan for your life.
Next week we’ll touch on chapter two of Healing the Father Wound.
In His love,
Carolyn
What a good teaching! Thank you for this. I read it and really saw that I need to face the false expectations put on my in my life, and that this is where the Lord wants me to start the new year.
Thank you, Kerry! I’m so glad to hear it blessed you!