Why My Way Isn’t Working

In review of Luke 5:4-5 it says, “When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’”

Bottom Line:

Stop doing things your same old way. With Jesus in your boat, give up your way and do it his way.

What this means to me:

Like Simon, I try to do things in my own strength constantly and not really get anywhere. When Jesus is in my boat, I should look to him and follow what he says (because he says so.) This of course, will take humility and obedience on my part. I need to be humble enough to listen and obedient enough to follow what he says, even though I may think I’ve already tried it. When Jesus tells me to do something he will provide a way for it to happen. The Bible says in Luke 5:4-5, “When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets’” (NIV). One thing I had never thought about was how hard it must have been for Simon Peter to admit failure to Jesus. He was a professional fisherman, and as a result he was good at it. It was how he made his living. But sometimes even the pros can fish all night and catch nothing. They were doing their best. But sometimes best is not good enough, and sometimes there are situations that are out of our control. I can’t control the economy. I can’t control the weather. I can’t control a lot of things in life that will affect me. I may have tried so hard that it just doesn’t seem to make any difference. Well, I need to get and keep Jesus in my boat. In other words, I need to let him be the center of my work/job. Second, I need to admit that my way isn’t working. The Bible calls this confession, and it can be tough. It can be hard for me to admit my way isn’t working, because pride, stubbornness and fear get in the way. Pride says, I don’t want anybody to think I can’t handle it. I’m in charge. I’ve got it all together. I think I can handle everything by myself, even if it means working 12 hours a day. Stubbornness indicates my being unwilling to change the way I’m doing things. The greatest enemy of tomorrow’s success is yesterday’s success. And lastly fear, its hard to admit that I’ve fished all night and caught nothing. I’m afraid that people will think less of me. I’m afraid to get Jesus into my boat because he may likely steer it in a direction I didn’t want to go. So, I need to be sure that I’m letting go of pride, stubbornness, and fear so that Jesus can take my boat and fill it to overflowing. I want to be successful in my work/job/career. I’d like to see God use me to make a difference in the lives of others by showing them what it’s like to be a devoted follower of Jesus. What I’m learning is that I need to let go of doing it my way and instead invite him in, and do things his way. Doing this will give him control.