Casting Nets

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17.

When Jesus called his first disciples He gave them the vision for His purpose for their lives – not the plan.  He gave them a glimpse of the destination although they had no idea of what the journey would hold.  They didn’t determine their own plan based on their individual experiences and agendas.  Scripture records that they immediately put down their nets and followed Jesus.  After spending three years with the Teacher it would be the very strengths they laid down that God would use to accomplish His kingdom purpose.

We have all been given spiritual gifts that were ordained before our births.  They are like beautiful gloves that lay flat until we invite God intimately in our lives.  At the point that we are ready to allow Him to lead, He slips His hands into these gifts and begins using us for His purposes.  Our gifts will be used by God in their purest form when He initiates our service.

After the death of Jesus, Peter must have been grieved in his soul as he remembered that initial call from a Teacher like no other.  As he returned to his nets, no doubt he was hoping to emotionally reconnect with the wonderful memories and hopes of a happier time.  He tried to fill his nets in his own talents, but realized that without Jesus nothing would ever be the same.  “‘I am going to fish’…but that night they caught nothing.”  John 21:3-6.  That initial vision must have felt so far away as he pulled up empty nets, empty dreams…with an empty heart.

And then as he laid the empty net in the boat, raising his eyes to the shoreline there he saw Jesus!  The originator of the vision!  At this point, the Savior slipped His hands into the gloves and said, “‘Throw your net on the right side…and you will find…’  When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number.” John 21:6.

Our calling is based on Jesus calling us into His vision, not us calling Him into our goals.  When God initiates and slips on the gloves that were perfectly made to fit us, we will accomplish His plans.  He will tell us where to cast, when to cast and how to cast.  He is the originator of our gifts and holds the plan of the journey to the destination.

So look and listen for the call of Christ and then cast those nets!