Jesus Uses What You Have

Peter had a boat, his work tool, the means by which he earned his living. Jesus asks him to use it, not to fish, but to preach. It is significant: before calling him to leave everything, he starts from what Peter already has.

This dynamic is important: God does not always ask us to abandon everything, but often uses what we have for greater purposes. Our “boat” can be our work, talents, time, resources. When we entrust them to Him, He transforms them and uses them for something eternal.

God has always worked this way. When Moses felt inadequate in the face of God’s call, the Lord asked him: “What do you have in your hand?” Moses had only a stick, but with that he would have divided the Red Sea. Even the young man with five loaves and two fish had little, but in Jesus’ hands that little fed thousands of people.

Peter follows a path: first he lends the boat to Jesus, then he obeys and casts the nets at his word, and finally, faced with the miracle, he understands who is before him and leaves everything to follow him. It is a progressive path: first you make available what you have, then you experience the power of God, and finally you discover that nothing is worth more than being with him.

We often worry about not having enough to offer God. But it is never a question of quantity, but of availability. Jesus does not ask you to leave everything, but to trust and put what you have in his hands. When you do this, you will discover that he always has bigger plans than you imagine. You will discover that your boat is worth less than what Christ has to offer you.