Life’s True Measuring Stick

Life’s true measuring stick is whether I’ve followed Jesus’ call in the big and small things of my life, and set down “my nets” like the disciples, the things that keep me clinging to what is and not what could be. Have I done God’s will or have I gotten stuck with nets holding me back from following God’s will?

If I look at my own life, yes, I think I’ve followed Jesus’ call in the big vocations of my life and taken His lead, and I’ve certainly grown in understanding how to do that in my adult years. It’s been hard to miss God’s big calls. They make themselves apparent and obvious in time through our desires, attractions, aspirations, and gifts. 

The person we’re supposed to marry, the family we’re supposed to have, the religious vocation we’re drawn to, the career we’re given, the service we’re supposed to do, and the talents we’re called to use make themselves known if we’re paying attention to our true selves. It’s as Parker Palmer said “Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am” and “Vocation at its deepest level is, "This is something I can't not do, for reasons I'm unable to explain to anyone else and don't fully understand myself but that are nonetheless compelling.” Vocation is part and parcel to who we are as human beings in the way God made us.

But life is not just comprised of big callings from God. It is also comprised of many other small calls. When I look at the small daily calls of Jesus that come in the midst of my daily life, that’s where I’m likely to have missed Jesus’ call. Maybe I didn’t stop and pray when God asked me to, do that act of service when felt a nudge to, or be as kind and loving as I know I should be. These daily calls are easier to miss and require being attentive to Jesus’s voice and presence in our lives. A hard task in the middle of endless distraction!

And finally, what about my nets? We all have nets we cling to that keep us locked in the same old life, like the fishermen Jesus recruited. Without laying them down, they couldn’t take on their new identities and roles as disciples and followers of Jesus.

Some nets I’ve surrendered, but there are still some nets that I’m clinging to and haven’t let down like old bad habits, what gives me a sense of security, and worries about the future. These hold me back from a life of fully following Jesus and trusting His lead. Detachment is a necessary part of God’s call.

In a world that has us measuring life by how happy and successful we are, how much money we have in the bank, how much great stuff we have, and how many of life’s joys and experiences we can accumulate, Jesus’ message is so opposite of all that. Life’s measuring stick, just like Jesus’ life and those of his disciples, is: Have I responded to God’s call? Have I done His will? Have I let go of the nets that keep me locked in the status quo?

Stop measuring yourself on the wrong stick.