Matthew and Mark record the incident when Jesus said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Although his words have inspired innumerable sermons which have motivated all kinds of Christians through the centuries, they were originally specifically spoken to men who were, actually, fishermen.
It's as if Jesus said, "I see your disciplined methods and careful planning when you venture out from your comfortable home to find and gather in fish. Now I want you to take the discipline and forethought and courage that you have learned in your professional lives and invest those skills for the advancement of the kingdom." That is, Jesus invited them to view their professional lives as training grounds to develop the tools that would ultimately be used for spiritual impact.
It wasn't just the fishermen, either. Matthew's accounting career led to writing a gospel that is authenticated by repeated numerical details. Luke, the physician, started with medical descriptions then ended with narratives of spiritual healing. Over and over, the transformative call of Jesus led believers to find spiritual application of their professional gifts.
So what about us? Just like the first disciples, each of the interests, skills, and experiences we've developed in business is a gift to be returned to the Lord. That's why Fellowship of Barnabas Partners exists: to help Christian business and community leaders use those professional gifts to help local ministries flourish. Let's ask God to transform our backgrounds for his glory, and encourage each other to find ways to more completely invest all that we have been given.
