Peter had been a fisherman his entire adult life. He knew the right time of day to fish. He knew how to prepare the nets. He knew that to catch fish you had to go where they were. You were not going to catch fish miles away from the water. Peter was comfortable being a fisherman, yet the Lord desired more for him. As it has been said, “God desires more for you, than you do for yourself.”
Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. [1]
The Lord’s plan for Peter’s life would now be fishing for people. As we turn to Matthew 4:19 it gives us additional insight on Peter’s call. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”[2] The Lord was calling Peter to be a fisher of people, and He was going to show him how. The Lord does the same for us today. If the Lord is calling us to do something, He will equip us for that task.
Jesus came so we could have eternal life. He came to die for all of us. If we repent (Turn from our sins and turn to God.) and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to faith, then we are ready to be fishers of people. It is crucial that we share Jesus as the Holy Spirit directs. We become fishers of men as we go about our lives.
God calls us wherever we are. Peter and Andrew were fishing. You might be at church, at work, or taking a walk through the woods. Jesus wants us to help Him bring others into the Kingdom. We don’t have to be anyone special. We just need to love Jesus and obey like Peter and Andrew did as they threw down their nets and followed Him.
To hear more about the call of Peter, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-call-peter
[1,2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.