The new year provided the transition point for breaking my toddler’s binkie (pacifier) habit, but I still dreaded the day. If you have a little one who loves his binkie, you understand.

We went the cold turkey approach. On January 2, my husband cut off the pacifier’s tip and gave it to our toddler. When our son put it in his mouth, he immediately spit it out and turned to us with concern in his eyes. “Binkie broken,” he said.

“Yes, binkie broken.” I held my breath, expecting an outburst or sob. Instead, he resigned himself to the broken binkie and went to sleep on his own, though it took him longer than usual to fall asleep.

I felt surprised and relieved. Why? The honest answer is that when God asks me to let go of something I crave, I don’t often react as calmly. Maybe you can relate. How should we respond? Some ordinary fishermen in the Bible model how to let go of our comforts and plans.

Hold Them Loosely

Imagine your father owned his family’s business, like his father before him. Now, he has passed it on to you, his daughter. You’re good at the business, it’s thriving, and your future looks set. Then one day, the Teacher turning your town upside down walks into your workspace and tells you to drop everything and follow Him.

That’s exactly what Jesus did to James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were tending to their family fishing business when Jesus called them to follow Him. To their credit, Scripture says that they “immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him” (Matthew 4:22, NKJV). In an instant, their world as they knew it, and their best-laid plans, vaporized.

If you’re like me, you envision your life looking a certain way. When God interrupts your plans or you suddenly realize life isn’t going to turn out the way you pictured it would, do you simply follow Him like James and John—or do you trudge forward grumbling and complaining?

When God interrupts your plans or you suddenly realize life isn’t going to turn out the way you pictured it would, do you simply follow Him like James and John—or do you trudge forward grumbling and complaining?

I wish I could say I simply “trust and obey” like the old hymn advises, but too often, I hold tightly to my dreams and insist on my own way. How much I need to follow King Solomon’s advice in Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (NKJV).

Let Go of Your Expectations

When Jesus called them by name, James and John (as well as the other disciples) must have believed He had amazing plans in store. At last, the long-awaited Messiah!

Yes, Jesus did have an amazing redemptive plan, but it didn’t look the way most Jews expected it would. Hello, the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Him (Matthew 26:3-4), and many of His own followers abandoned Jesus during His ministry (John 6:66).

Even John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, had his doubts. Matthew 11:2-3 tells us, “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” (NKJV)

I’m encouraged by John’s question because it reminds me that even the most faithful Christ-followers have questions. It also challenges me because like the believers who have gone before me, I need to let go of what I expect Jesus to look like and how I expect Him to act in my life—because He is God and I am not.

Parting Encouragement

If my son had his way, he’d hold on to his binkie for a long time, but I know it’s not good for his dental health and that he needed to let it go. Like the good Father He is, God also knows when something we love isn’t good for us and takes it away. We suddenly feel hurt, but He sees a bigger picture we can’t.

What is something in your life God is asking you to let go? Let’s trust Him to move in our plans and dreams in ways that are for our good, even if we can’t understand how yet.