PioneersSample

THE CONVICTION OF A PIONEER: PERSISTENCE

Pioneers never give up. They are relentless. It does not matter what they are facing; it does not matter how big the mountain is in front of them. They will keep going, they will keep praying, they will keep dreaming, and they will keep praying UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. That is because there is a deep conviction inside of every pioneer to never give up.

In John 21 we see a profound story of the disciples who have just gone out on the water to fish. To give context, 3 years prior to this moment, the disciples had given everything up to follow Jesus. They have left their families, their jobs, their securities, and their comforts to go and live the life of a disciple. Fast forward 3 years, the same person they thought would overthrow the government, save their people, and restore the nation was lying dead in a tomb.

These young disciples had nowhere to go. They were lost, they were confused, and everything they had worked towards would have felt like a waste. As they come to the end of their rope, they decide to go back to the one thing they knew how to do, and that was to fish.

Unbeknownst to them, Jesus arrives to the shore, and after discovering that they had caught nothing after a full night of fishing, Jesus instructs them to throw their nets to the other side ONE MORE TIME. Immediately the nets get filled with fish, to the point that they were unable to haul in the entire catch. This is an amazing story of Jesus’ power and His grace, but if all we see is the miracle of the fish, we will miss the true miracle found in this story.

If I were to put myself in the sandals of the disciples, this instruction by Jesus would have frustrated me. Firstly, they had been out all night and caught nothing. The disciples would have been physically exhausted from their overnight labour, and the last thing they would want is someone to remind them of their lack. Secondly, Jesus was not an experienced fisherman. Why would anyone want to take advice from someone with less experience than them? Thirdly the instruction to throw the net to the other side of the boat makes no logical sense. Throwing the net out to one side of the boat is irrelevant as the entire boat is surrounded by water.

So, what was Jesus trying to do? He was not trying to gauge their ability to fish. He was trying to gauge their level to persist. The miracle that day was not the multitude of fish but the obedience of the disciples. Despite their exhaustion, despite their frustration, despite their logic, they threw the net out one more time out of obedience to God, and God gave them a miracle they could not haul in.

The truth is, you might be one throw away from your catch. But the key to our miracle is persistence. When it doesn't make sense, throw your net out again. When you are feeling tired, throw your net out again. When you feel like it's over, throw your net out again. Persistence is long obedience in the same direction, and this is the conviction of every pioneer.

QUESTIONS:

1. Is there something in your life that you feel like giving up on?

2. In what area is God asking you to throw your net out again?