Our Unworthiness to Follow Jesus

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:1-11 NIV)

One of the biggest obstacles people face in the decision to follow Jesus is their sense of unworthiness.  They don’t feel good enough, confident enough, or passionate enough. They compare themselves to Jesus, His disciples, and people whom they view as “super Christians,” and they don’t measure up.  They may attempt to follow Jesus, but they often lag behind, weighed down by their perceived lack of qualifications, giftedness and worthiness, and without hope of moving up to the front, joining the spiritual leaders. 

This is an attitude I see often among students and, as with anyone, it is spiritually disabling. The focus is all wrong. As we are prone to do as fallen human beings, we can’t see beyond ourselves. We can’t see anything much beyond our lives that seem so messed up. So when Jesus comes calling, as He did at the shores of Lake Gennesaret, like the disciples, we are intimidated by His glory and perfection. And, like Peter, we are prone to push Him away, not because we hate Him, but rather because our sin becomes so glaring when He is around. We are ashamed and our guilt overwhelms us. So, it is much easier and more comfortable just to send Him away or to follow at a safe distance where His glory is less intense.  And the result is we fail to experience the riches of His grace.

Jesus was fully aware of the disciples’ sinfulness and imperfections. He knew about every person (John 2:25). Yet, He told them to follow Him and He would use them for the work of His Kingdom. They indeed weren’t good enough, but He was and that was all that mattered.  

This is the truth we each need to internalize: The Lord’s love for us and His ability to use us in spiritually significant ways is not dependent upon our goodness or what we have done or not done.  It’s solely dependent on His power to transform and use any life.  This is the truth we see played out in the lives of the first disciples as depicted in the New Testament—sinners, all of them, being used by the Lord to do His work on earth.

Today, if you are struggling with your own unworthiness to follow Jesus, get over yourself and your inadequacies, for they are no match for the power of the Lord. If He can transform the lives of some 1st Century fishermen and tax collectors, using them to begin His Church, then He is more than able to transform you and similarly put you to effective use in His Kingdom.  All that is required of you is to get up and follow wherever He leads. If you are willing, you will experience the amazing riches of His grace.

© Jim Musser 2017