We’ve been away as you do at the end of the year. It has been a time of reflection, considering and to be frank repentance. As we read through the Gospel of Mark, I noticed that people were ‘amazed’ at Jesus, and ‘astonished’. They knelt before him, begged, pleaded and followed him often for days without food.

As I thought about this, I struggled to remember when my last encounter with Jesus was remotely like any of this. Pleaded? Begged? My relationship, if I am brutal in assessing things, is verging on complacent, even apathetic. My prayer life, a daily conversation with an astounding, attentive God, is a struggle. Most other Believers I know would be similar.

In amongst this, we are trying to reach the lost. Many of them, just as with me, exist in a world of distractions and complexity. There are so many competing attentions, that singling in on just one, or even a few is an immense challenge. Within moments of arising in the morning, I am confronted with a number of competing activities – shall I surf, pray, prepare for the day or call people overseas while they are still awake. As the day progresses, it gets worse.

Yet I am aware, painfully so, that to achieve our goal of seeing Movement in this country, I need to become very focused on the things that will count. Simply, we will not succeed unless some of these activities and people go. Many are worthy, including lots of time spent with other Believers. Some involve doing noble “other” things to try and reach the lost, though they may not be as effective as DMM and are not what we are called to do.

This year, Fruitpickers is looking to grow its team. But, I want to be frank mostly with myself, that to see followers of Jesus made in this country especially, from amongst the harvest, will be the toughest thing you will ever do. It will involve single-minded sacrifice of prayer, a discarding of activities and a laser-like focus to work with God on breaking the strongholds in Western society, bringing people from darkness to light. God is looking for such people though – as I believe he always is, people who will embark on working with him to achieve the only thing that will be left at the end. Saved souls and Jesus.

So, memo to me – what will it be in the morning; Jesus or the surf?