Feeling disheartened and low on faith? So were the disciples until Jesus stepped in their boat! Find out how saying yes to Jesus and getting on board with his true calling for your life will allow you to experience the abundant life he has for you.
“But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5)
Total Obedience & Faith in Action
After fishing all night and catching nothing Jesus tells his disciples to throw the net back in one more time. I can imagine them being weary, tired, and discouraged after working themselves to the bone all night with zero return. To go back out to the deep and throw a heavy net back in had to seem futile and frustrating. Nevertheless, they did as Jesus asked, showing obedience and faith in action.
Nets Overflowing
The outcome of their obedience was more than they ever could have envisioned.
“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.” (vs 6–7)
Can you even imagine? Breaking nets & sinking boats because they received more than they could even hold and carry. This literally floored Simon Peter as he fell to his knees in fear and awe.
“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord! For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” (vs 9–11)
Invite Jesus into Your Boat
When we’re tired, exhausted, and feel like giving up and throwing in the towel, when we don’t see the results we were hoping for, and when life feels disappointing, I wonder what it would look like to go back out again, this time, not alone, but with Jesus in our boat.
It might look like laying aside our own agendas (and worries and stress and striving!), spending time encountering him, and asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and the enabling. It might look like listening. And it will always end up looking like stepping out, exercising faith in action and trusting God 100% on the outcome.
Winning the fish lottery with Jesus had to be amazing and surreal. I can imagine the disciples tossing the fish in the air in glee, maybe doing a little happy dance in the sinking boat. But Jesus said something super interesting about said fish.
Mission over Miracle
Jesus said, “from now on I will make you fishers of men.” This bounty, as wonderful as it was wasn’t about receiving provision, it wasn’t about the miracle at all, it was about the mission. It was Jesus showing them his power and revealing to them their true calling. They may catch fish to earn a living, but their heart, their purpose, their calling was to be fishers of men… to share the hope of the gospel with the lost.
I imagine if I ever find myself receiving a windfall of some sort, I would be super excited and probably want to focus on how I can relish and profit off of it all. But the disciples forsook everything, they left all and followed Jesus that very moment. The disciples cared more about the grace-giver than the gifts.
This is such an incredible example of where our hearts should abide while we work and live and do all the things God has called us to do. No matter what our lives look like on the surface, the root and the underlying purpose of our existence is to give God glory and to share the hope that we have with the people he’s placed in our circle of influence (which can be so much greater than we even know with the help of social media!)
Being a Yes (wo)Man
However, I know that more often then not my answer is no because of fear, because something is out of my comfort zone, and because half of the time I’m just trying to survive and I’m tired; I’m busy furiously rowing my boat alone.
Jeremy Cowart, a successful celebrity photographer, artist, and visionary, has always stepped outside his comfort zone and said YES to Jesus, even when it meant venturing into uncharted territory. Although he has zero experience in the hotel industry, God gave him a vision for creating a global hotel chain with purpose, one that makes a meaningful difference in the world by giving back. The Purpose Hotel will exist so that every feature, amenity and detail will give back on a global scale through every stay and every purchase made. Everything in it will crafted by local and global humanitarian artisans and as their slogan states, as a guest, you will literally be changing the world in your sleep.
Jeremy says this in regards to the bold new, seemingly impossible venture, “Have you ever felt like a fish out of water? …. I’ve been telling people that my photo career is like a glass of water. I see through it, around it above and below it. There’s nothing left to understand. But the hospitality industry? I feel like I’m looking out at the ocean. Infinite, unknown depths of mystery to explore… It’s a whole new world. And I’m so excited to have my toes at the edge of the water, ready to fully emerge.”
He says this as he’s about to speak at a massive hotel conference with zero training and zero experience. It being me, instead of sharing excited posts on Instagram, I might instead be hyperventilating in a bathroom stall.
God is constantly looking for people, like Jeremy, who will go out in the boat with him & who will say yes, people who he can use, and who are willing to follow him wholeheartedly. And when we do this, we will see our nets overflow with bigger and bigger fish-out-of-water experiences and like Simon-Peter, we will humbly fall on our knees in awe. This is the abundant faith life that is our true mission and calling.
We don’t all have to be founders of massive entrepreneurial endeavors, we can start small in our daily decisions. Pray today and ask God, “What are You asking me to leave behind and what is a way that I can you say yes to You and follow You this very day?”
“Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!” (Matthew 9:35–38, The Message)
