Luke 5:1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
Luke 5:5 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."
Luke 5:6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Have you ever noticed how much Christians and churches talk about casting our individual and collective nets. We cast our nets to increase numbers, increase tithing, increase visitation, increase vision, increase visits / visitors, increase wisdom, increase teaching and the list goes on and on. However, we rarely talk about something that is key to casting our nets, and that is repairing our nets.
We go around casting nets full of holes (not holy for sure...LOL) that need to be repaired. We say we are too busy casting to take the time to repair our nets. Yet we have time to do the things we enjoy - sports, shopping, travel, reading, going out to eat, watching TV or movies, surfing the web, etc. It is not lack of time that keeps us from repairing our nets, it is we do not want to do it. We want to avoid it so much, we are willing to make excuses to avoid the work of net repair. Many times those excuses are rooted in two base causes.
First we have the selfish / self image based excuses for net repair. If we stop casting our nets we will no longer be the center of attention, or be the go to person for that ministry. We want the attention, we want the praise, we want the acclaim, so we never stop casting long enough to check our equipment for fear of loosen a part of that. In the same self image based vain, also stems the human desire to not admit we need to take some time and rest, recover, repair. We all, male and female, want to be seen as 10 feet tall and bullet proof when it comes to our lives, and our ministries. To stop for a time, and recover, means the admission of our human condition. Of course there is also the human fear that if we stop for a bit the rumor/s that there is something seriously wrong in our life may begin. The “They were really active until about two months ago, then suddenly they stopped doing it, they must have been doing something really bad in their personal life.” True or not rumors move faster then truth in most circles, and faster then anything in most churches. However, no matter what the selfish or self imaged based excuse is, we need to overcome it and take the time to do the work of net repair, which leads to a second common area of excuses.
The second reason we do not repair our nets is that it requires work and time. Our mind set is what we have now is working so why worry about improving. We are satisfied with less success then we are capable of because to improve our success would mean some additional work, and time, on our part. We convince ourselves that the extra work and time would not benefit us enough to justify us changing our lives for it. Behind that view is a root view that our current duties, ministries, and activities are so vital or important that the body can not do without them for a time, a off shoot of cause #1 above. Overall though it is just personal laziness that keeps us from taking the time to fix our nets.
Our nets are the lives, lifestyles, actions and habits that we cast into the world each day. If we do not take the time to repair, and replace, flawed nets then we are not only living lives less impact-ful for Christ, but also missing out on personal blessings that come from serving God at our full potential. A real walk with God is not about serving at 70% (or 30%) capacity for our entire lives on earth. God desire is to have His people live full lives, fully blessed, and at full potential. Ban the thought of us missing out on that due to excuses, weather the excuses are rooted in selfish motives or laziness.
Net repair is not a option for a growing Christian, it is a requirement. It may be painful or it may not be. It may be time consuming, or it may only take a short amount of time. The point is not how long or how painful it is to do the work of repair / retooling, recovery / rest, the point is that we must do it. It is not wrong or a sin to take a bit of time to be sure that your nets are repaired and that your casting is efficient, in fact God calls us all to reflect on our lives and our work for Him regularly. It is not God, or His work or call, that is keeping you from repairing the nets in your life, it is you, so decide today to make it a priority in the future. Your walk with God will become better, your work for Him will be more efficient, and everyone, most of all yourself, will be blessed by your desire to cast the best net possible into the waters of the world.
Be the Christian that God is calling you to be, not the Christian that is easiest to be with your lifestyle.
