By Amanda Berger
“When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” -Matthew 4:12-23
One of the hardest things to do each day, especially during this season, is to come at life with a hopeful and positive attitude. And yet it is also one of the few things over which we have complete control. It’s easy to become bogged down in the constant barrage of sensational news or let other people’s anxiety and fear become our own.
While all of us may struggle to stay positive at times, we hold the very key to that positivity in our own hearts. As Christians, we know that there is hope. There is a light to be seen and recognized in the form of Jesus Christ and in the power of God’s redemption of the world. We know that God’s kingdom is here and now, but that it is also coming—with a promise that when Christ comes to us again, all things will be redeemed. So, when we feel like we need an attitude adjustment, we can take a deep breath and remind ourselves that the present hardship will fall away. It will pass. And all we have to do is take the next step, following in the footsteps of our Savior when he says, “Follow me.”
Prayer: Holy Jesus, you have called us to come and follow. You have called us to see what you will do, to bear witness to the good news, the healing, the forgiveness that you lavishly bestow upon your people. Light up our darkness and let us see all the goodness that comes from your heart and from your hands to us. Renew our minds, hearts and spirits, and help us to live in hope. Amen.