Simon Peter: Fisherman to Gospeler

Have you ever felt like you aren’t qualified enough to share the gospel? Perhaps you didn’t go to seminary, or you live a simple life employed at a simple job. Perhaps you stay at home with little ones underfoot. Or maybe you’ve lived a life scared of sharing the gospel. You’ve denied knowing Jesus in social settings and believe there’s no way that testimony can be any kind of testimony for Him.

Thankfully, Scripture shows us that none of those things disqualify us. Jesus’ first followers—the first Gospelers—led very simple lives. And even Peter, the rock on which He built His church, denied knowing Him. This gives us hope that even with our simple lives, even when we waver in our faith, God can use us to reach others.

Most of us are familiar with Simon Peter and his profession as a fisherman; it’s what he did before Jesus called him to be a fisher of men, and it’s what he did after Jesus’ death when he didn’t know what else to do. But later, after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter was called to share the good news, and he did—boldly! In Acts 2, he stood before thousands at Pentecost and preached about Jesus’ death and resurrection. Acts 4:13 tells us that he and John were so bold in their preaching that when the rulers “realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Isn’t it fascinating that of all the people Jesus could have chosen in His short time on earth to depend on to spread the gospel, He chose “unschooled, ordinary men”? That should tell us there’s something more powerful at work—or rather, Someone more powerful.

We, too, can boldly go forward, sharing the good news with others, knowing that the Holy Spirit helps us. He can work through even the simplest of lives. Sometimes, our ordinary life is exactly what opens the door for us to share the good news. We simply tell others about Jesus and allow God to do the work in their hearts.

Consider: Have you felt like your life is too ordinary to share the gospel? Is there anyone you can think of who might be open to hearing about Jesus?