When Faith Requires a New Strategy
The disciples had been out fishing all night without a single catch. They knew how to fish—it just wasn’t working. They were discouraged and defeated. Jesus, standing on the shore after His resurrection, called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you caught any fish?” The disciples answered, “No.” Then Jesus called out, “Throw your nets on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” When the disciples did as instructed, they caught so many fish that their nets almost broke! (John 21:4–6)
I love this story!
There are many times in your life and mine when we think we know what we’re doing. However, what’s been tried and tested in the past is no longer working. Our human efforts have failed. Maybe it’s in parenting a challenging teen. We’ve tried everything, and it’s not working. Or maybe it’s in the realm of finding a job. After repeatedly applying, nothing is happening. Maybe it’s in your marriage or even in striving to change a bad habit. A sense of failure and defeat strangles morale. It is in those moments that God is likely inviting you to a new leap of faith.
He stands on the shore of your life, calling out, “Throw your net on the right side.” In those moments, you might feel tempted to argue, “But Lord, that’s not going to work.” Instead, why not take a leap of faith and simply obey what you believe God is calling you to do?
Here’s the thing about faith: it often requires a new strategy.
What can we learn about faith and new strategies from this simple story?
God is under no obligation to make sense according to your rational thinking. At times, you are not going to understand the ways of God. His ways are far above ours. Often, I find that a barrier to faith is a reliance on rational thinking alone. There is mystery about God, and those who worship intellect will never be able to take the leap of faith that God requires. When Jesus called to the disciples, it didn’t make any sense that they were simply to throw their nets on the other side. What difference would one side of the boat make? Yet when they obeyed what Jesus said, their nets were so full they started to break.
God delights in surprising you. Can you imagine Jesus smiling on the shore as the disciples pulled in that haul? God delights in surprising you with unexpected blessings! Think back over the last few years. When has God surprised you with something unexpected? The text tells us that when they realized it was Jesus, Peter jumped into the water to greet Him. Jesus loved Peter’s exuberant response! How exuberantly do you respond when Jesus does something extraordinary in your life?
God invites you to new strategies when the old ones are no longer working. When something is no longer working in your life, may I suggest that it’s a great time to pray and ask God to show you what’s next? Pull away and ask, “Lord, is there something new You want me to move toward?” Oftentimes, God will show you a new strategy, but be warned—the new one will require greater faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you by strengthening your faith.
Friend, it’s an exciting adventure following Jesus. Just when you think you have it all figured out, He surprises you with a new opportunity! Stay tuned to Him. Be ready to pivot and throw your net on the other side!
This Week on The Connected Mom Podcast
We’re starting our encore series with Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski, talking about how to navigate youth sports with Christian values. This was one of the best podcasts we’ve ever done, and if you’re a mom or grandma with kids or grandkids in sports, you need to listen in! It’s seriously so good!
BIG NEWS!!
I am so excited to tell you that RightNow Media has picked up the video series for Our Father! This means that if your church has a subscription to RightNow Media, you can do the Our Father study and watch the videos there.
