Are you ready to drop your net?

Beginning your day in The Word of God is so important. I love that our Church has readings every day to take the guess work out of where to begin! Be sure you READ and/or LISTEN to todays readings.

I absolutely love today's Gospel. I know very little about fishing, but I can see and picture the scene so well. I couldn't imagine what I would have thought or said if I had been working so hard all night and then Jesus comes along and says to throw the nets in again.

There is so much we can learn in this short section from Peter!

1. Humility

Peter was a fisherman by trade, yet when he was told to lower his nets again, into a place he had already worked, he did it anyway. He didn't get all proud and "puffed" up about knowing more about fishing, he humbled himself and did it anyway.

2. Faith

As this story ends we see Peter literally leave everything and go follow Jesus. He leaves behind his boats and nets, but he also leaves behind family and friends. It tells us "When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him."

I would love to think that if Jesus showed up at my door and asked me to follow him that I would just walk out and do it, however, I don't know that I could! I certainly could leave my "stuff" behind, but I would minimally want to have some closure here. I would want to make sure the dogs were set and taken care of, I would want to go say good bye to my family and friends and tell them what was happening. Peter did NOT, he simply left EVERYTHING behind!

3. Obedience

Peter didn't think there was going to be any different outcome by throwing the nets in the water one more time, but he did it anyway. He showed incredible obedience. How often does God ask us to do something that we have tried over and over again without success? How many times are we asked to do something when we are just exhausted after a long day of work? How many times are we asked to do something we just don't understand? Are we obedient? Do we listen to God and do it anyway?

4. God can use anyone to to big and powerful things!

Jesus comes into the picture, has an encounter with a fisherman that doesn't have any schooling or any special knowledge or background in religion and calls him to be a disciple and be a fisher of men. Jesus calls this sinner with no special or seemingly significant talents to ultimately become our first Pope and leader of the Church!

God does not call the equipped, he equips the called! If we respond to God with true humility, faith and obedience, he can use us in mighty and powerful ways. We need to stop diminishing our value and our worth! Through Christ we can do anything! It is time to open our eyes, ears and heart and be on the lookout for God's call! We must stay humble so we don't miss it and we must ACT with obedience.