In 1 John 4:18 it says “perfect love casts out fear”. But, how many of us trust this? Usually, most of us just try to avoid the things we are afraid of. When Jesus calls us to follow him, he calls us to a courageous love that overcomes and casts out fear.

Jesus said, “follow me” throughout his ministry. And, when he did, he never promised an easy road, but rather one filled with hardship, danger, sacrifice, and rejection. Any normal, sane person would be afraid, yet people followed him. When they did, they discovered a powerful love: the love God has for the world, the love Christ expressed for the least and lost, the love that connects people to God and to each other.

It all begins with those words from Jesus, “Follow me”:

As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20)

To discover and experience God’s fullness, we must be willing to step out in faith and follow Jesus. There’s a great adventure in store for us! Jesus called it “life and life to the fullest”. Sure, there’s lots to risk and some dangers that tempt us to fear. But we simply can’t experience the fullness of God’s power and love any other way. We must be courageous enough to let love cast out fear. Just ask these folks in the Scripture above: Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

From humble beginnings these apostles would form the bedrock of the church and its mission to extend and expand God’s Kingdom throughout the world. Their claim to fame…   “immediately they left their nets and boats and followed him”.

May we do the same