4 x 6 Plan | Read: John 21:1-14 & 1 Corinthians 7:1-9
Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. (John 21:3)
The disciples had just had a pretty crazy few weeks. They’d discovered that their leader had risen from the dead, they’d sat in on the first Sunday church service in history, and they’d been sent by Jesus into all the world to tell people about Him. Now, a few of them are gathered together at the lake, wondering what they’re going to do, and Peter throws out a gem of an idea: “Let’s go fishing.”
WHAT? The most important news in the world is sitting on the tip of their tongues and they are going fishing? How can this be?
Here’s why: getting lost is pretty easy. Nowadays, we have iPhones with map apps, compasses, and GPS, yet even with the tools to know better, we still find ourselves lost all the time. This is the case spiritually and physically. The disciples saw Jesus, touched Him, and had the Holy Spirit inside of them, but they still ended up off course. Surely they were a little discouraged by the many times they’d let Jesus down. Maybe they simply were not convinced that Jesus needed them any more. That is a question we still must answer today: does God really need us? The answer is, of course, no. God doesn’t need us. The Bible shows us this when God used a donkey to rebuke a prophet that got out of line. Imagine sitting at Starbucks and a squirrel sneaks up onto your table and starts sharing the gospel with you—“If you reject Jesus, you’re nuts!” Think about the rocks crying out, and all of the angels, and the sheer fact that God breathed the universe into existence—clearly we are not needed.
So then why does God use us? The answer is that He enjoys our involvement.
My kids both went through phases where they copied us all the time (when they were young, then as teenagers tried to avoid us at all cost lol). Whether cleaning, or the laundry, or helping put together a bookshelf, they were always coming behind us to help us with what we were doing. Now, were they really helping? No. In fact, they often undid the work that we started. So why did we let them keep helping? Because we loved their involvement; the fact that they wanted to be a part was a blessing to us.
This is the heart of God. He doesn’t need us, but loves our involvement. In life, everything we do with God is a team effort (even though He does all the work). In evangelism it’s the same way. He alone can save, but He uses us to bless and befriend others while He works on the hearts.
Remember: Our great God wants us greatly involved.
Action Steps
Bible: What is God showing me? What am I going to do about it?
Bless: Serve one person through word, action, or gift today.
Recent Comments