Who Are We?
We used to have a place at Lake Gaston. One of the members of my church was a “Bass Master.” He told me he had never fished on Lake Gaston when he didn’t catch a boatload of bass. We spent the night in my house and were out on the water by 5:30 a.m. We used his boat because it was outfitted with every possible gadget one would need to catch a lot of fish. We each had six rods and reels, and all six had different lures and bait. We would fish with one rod, and when that didn’t work, we would try another.
We fished for twelve hours. I caught nothing, and my church member caught a little bass that was so small he threw it back into the lake. He kept saying, “I’ve never been to Lake Gaston when I didn’t catch a lot of fish!” But regardless of how many times he said it, we didn’t catch any fish.
This was not Simon Peter’s problem. He was an experienced fisherman, but Simon and his crew had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. When Jesus told him to push his boat into deep water and “let down the nets for a catch,” (Luke 5:4) they cast their nets and “caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” Verse 6 tells us that Simon’s two boats were so loaded with fish that they began to sink!
Simon Peter “fell at Jesus’ knees,” telling him to “go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Verse 8) Jesus told Simon Peter, “From now on, you will fish for people.” Hearing that, Simon “left everything and followed Christ.” (Verses 10-11)
When we fished at Lake Gaston, we were fishing for ourselves. When Peter listened to Christ, he fished for people. Christ has a purpose for each of our lives, and when we listen to Christ, our paths will be straight and bountiful. When we follow Christ, He helps us learn who we are and what we are called to do as His children.
Prayer: Father, when I struggle to find my identity, remind me to follow You to discover my true self. Amen.
Luke 5:10 – Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
Author: The Rev. Tommy Herndon
Photos: Johannes Plenio & Anne Nygard, courtesy of Unsplash