Fishermen who became “Fishers of Men”
They
were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
“Come, follow me,”
Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets
and followed him.
(Matthew 4: 18 – 20)
Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he
found few people who were sincerely busy with their work. Jesus saw Peter and
Andrew, casting a net into the lake. The Bible says, they were doing this for
they were fishermen. It was their job. (Please read Matthew 4: 18-22). They were involved in something which
they were supposed to do, as their profession demanded. And we find Jesus
calling them, in their own style. You are fishermen, I find you doing your work
sincerely in the lake, come I have something to do, in your own style, in your
own way. I will make you Fishers of Men. Isn’t that amazing? Wow. Isn’t it
awesome to realise that Jesus gave them a role in the field of evangelism,
which they were already interested in? An evangelism which falls in place with
what they were already involved in? It is indeed amazing.
What about you, my dear friend? Are you doing
your work diligently? Are we involved in whatever we do, so that God can look
at you and see that sincerity in you, that as your profession demands you are
diligently at your work, so that He would take you and use you in the same way,
in His kingdom. God would use your expertise wherever it can be of great use
and bear fruit. Just like how Jesus looked at the sincere work Peter and Andrew
were doing as fishermen and called them to be Fishers of Men, your day will
come. Be serious at the work where you are placed now. Do not have the wish of
becoming a Fisher of Men and forget the fact that first you have to be an
efficient Fisherman. Be honest and diligent with what you are doing now. When
your time comes, God will call you to work for the growth of His kingdom,
looking at the sincerity you had as a professional worker. If God can call
Fishermen to be Fishers of Men centuries back, how many different callings are
awaiting nowadays. Just imagine!
Did you realise, as described in the passage we
read above, these diligent and sincere fisherman were even ready to leave all
this and follow Jesus when they knew that there was a calling. It was a time of
realization in their life, not to give up, but to use all these expertise to
the growth of God’s kingdom. They did not lose anything. Their years of experience
with the profession as fishermen did not go waste. They realised, that they are
going to be used by God as Fishers of Men. At once they left their nets and
followed Jesus.
My dear friend, I may not know with what you
are occupied at the moment in your life. But I just want to remind you, that
God, with His great plan in your life, is looking at how diligent and sincere
you are at your work, so that He can give a whole new department of your
expertise and knowledge into your hands. He will call you, anoint you ad use
all that you have gained in your life for the glory of His kingdom. You being a
sincere and diligent ambassador will be one of the best things you can have in your
life.
As we read along the passage further we see
that, not just Peter and Andrew who were casting their nets into the lake were
found by Jesus, but also James and John who were preparing their nets too. That
reminds us that we have to prepare ourselves well. If you are a student, this is a
fantastic point for you to remember. Not just the ones who were diligently
casting their nets into the lake were called but also the ones who were
preparing themselves to cast their nets. How well are you preparing yourself
for your profession. God is interested in those too.
Praying that you will do an awesome job
wherever you are placed now and prepare yourself well, so that when God comes
walking beside your Sea of Galilee, you will be seen working and preparing diligently.
Diligent and sincere Fishermen would get a
chance to become Fishers of Men!
May God bless you.
