How Listening Opens Doors

Do you remember the first time the Lord spoke to you? While it likely wasn’t as audible as Jesus speaking with Simon, as Christians, the Holy Spirit speaks to us today through His Word. When this happens we have a choice in our response to him.

Although Simon, later renamed Peter, put up a little bit of defiance toward Jesus, in the same breadth, he agreed to do what Jesus asked. Immediately after that, he responded to Jesus’s words with action. What happened from that step of obedience changed his life forever.

The same thing can happen in our lives. From the moment when we first came to Christ to our daily moments, we learn to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Beautiful things begin to take place from those steps of obedience to his voice.

When Jesus called me to follow him I was young. I remember my parents asked me if I wanted to follow Jesus and be baptized. I remember being a little nervous if I’m honest. I thought that God seemed way too big for me to understand let alone know how to give my life to him. But I also remember thinking he must be good because the world is a really beautiful, massive place full of fascinating people and things. I believed God made the world and no one heartless could make it. When I learned it was God’s son Jesus who gave me the ability to know and love God, I felt like I had a new best friend I couldn’t want to get to know better. My initial ideas about God were very simplistic, but they challenged me.

Very early on, when I realized I belonged to God I had one of these God-calling moments. It happened when my godparents gave me a Bible at my baptism. It was purple which was my favorite color back then. It had a whale’s tail on the cover and I loved sea animals. It was also huge. I wasn’t sure I’d seen anything so beautiful. I held the Bible in my hands and something stirred in my seven-year-old soul. I was amazed. God wrote this whole book for us? The Creator of the Universe wrote all of this down just for us to help understand him better so we could live a better life? My parents helped me understand the Bible better by printing out coloring pages that explained verses of the Bible. I loved it. That said, there were plenty of times that I remember not loving learning about the Bible when I was reminded to be patient or forgiving.

It’s such a gift though isn’t it! Without a conviction, encouragement or insight from the Holy Spirit when we read the Bible, we’re not really listening to the Lord’s heart as we read his words. I’m still amazed by Scripture if I take even a few moments to really think about it! Sometimes it fills me with a little holy fear just like it did back then as well. The thought crosses my mind, “I’m so small-minded compared to God, how could I ever possibly understand this book from Him?”

Maybe that is why Peter comes to Jesus after he catches all these fish and in astonishment and holy fear says the only thing he can think of. Luke 5:8 shows that Peter fell at Jesus' feet and begged “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

But in his deep love for Peter (the same love he has for you and I), Jesus tells him not to be afraid. He has a plan to use him in a new way. He’ll still be a fisherman, but instead of catching fish, he’s tasked to catch people for God’s glory. From that day on, Peter’s life took on a whole new meaning and purpose.

So friend, if you’re reading this and the Lord has called you to do something you’re afraid of, feel unworthy of or whatever keeps you from saying yes, please rest assured He has amazing plans for it. We can say yes to whatever God is calling us to do and He will always do something beautiful with our yes!