Don’t Wash Your Nets, Just Yet!

In Luke’s gospel chapter 5 we pick up a story where Jesus uses a boat to teach from that belonged to Simon Peter. After He finishes teaching, Jesus proceeds to tell the fishermen that were washing their nets on the shore to go back out into the deep for another cast of the nets, the nets that they just happened to be washing. Later, these men would be called ‘fishers of men’, but for now they were just ‘plain ole’ fishermen. Fishermen who knew how to fish, but who were weary from fishing all night and catching nothing. Have you ever been weary? “Me too!” Anyway, back to the story… Jesus was asking them to do again, what they had already done and, what they already knew how to do. He was asking them to go back into the same water, in the same boat, with the same nets, (the nets they had been washing) and cast them again, but this time, into the deep. In other words, they had to go out just a little bit further this time, and to their amazement, they would catch the greatest catch of their lives.

Here’s the narrative: “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke‬ ‭5:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Notice it says, “the fishermen had gone from them (the boats) and were washing their nets.” That’s what I would like to key in on, the fact that they had left their boats and that they were washing their nets. When the fishermen had put their boats up and had began to wash their nets, this meant they were done for the night. Have your ever been done? “Yeah, Me too.” But, nonetheless, it’s interesting to me how Jesus introduces the idea of ‘trying one more time’, when the fishermen were already tired, frustrated and done! Remember this: Your greatest opportunity to be obedient, may come at the most inconvenient time. Do it anyway!

•They Toiled (strenuous labor that caused fatigue)

•They Tried (effort put forth – desiring a result)

•They were Tired (mentally, physically and emotionally)

•They were Troubled (why is He asking us to do what we’ve just done – we’ve toiled all night and caught nothing)

•They were Tested (nevertheless Lord, at your word)

But ‘nevertheless’, they did it. They pushed the boat off the shore into the water and the mustered all the strength and energy they could find, and they cast the nets into the sea for a catch of a lifetime. Don’t allow your frustration to keep you from trying ‘one more time’. Find the faith and fortitude to overcome your frustration and see what God does!

Frustration occurs when you put forth an effort without a desired result. Burnout occurs when frustration continues without a resolve or a different outcome.

⁃ It’s easy to get frustrated.

⁃ It’s easy to experience burnout.

⁃ It’s easy to get tired from life’s routines and responsibilities.

However, we are stewards of the earth, our marriage, our children, our job, our homes, our possessions, our responsibilities, our relationships, our finances… everything! That’s why we get weary and tired!

We all get tired, and just like the fishermen in this story that had fished all night and caught nothing, we feel like washing our hands of certain people, scenarios and scenes. They were washing their nets, which signified they were through. So here’s some questions to ask yourself and answer honestly.

•What are you ready to wash your hands of?

•What are you frustrated with?

•What are you finished with?

•What are you tired of?

•What have you toiled with?

•What are you troubled by?

•What are you being tested with?

The real question is, what have you decided to wash your hands of that God may be saying, “try again.” Someone said, “I through in the towel and God through it back and said, ‘wipe the sweat off your face and keep going’!”

What is it that you have, that the the Lord is wanting to use? What is it that He desires to be in the center of? He used Simon’s boat to teach from, and it was ‘that’ boat that caught all the fish. What if you invited Jesus into the center of your home, marriage, children, jobs, and finances, instead of washing your hands of it, or of them?

When Jesus is at the center of it all, what once frustrated you will now fulfill you. What you toiled all night to accomplish can happen in an instant. They caught the catch of their lives with one cast of the nets, the nets that they had been washing and that they were about to hang up to dry. Their frustration triumphed in Faith when they heeded the Word of the Lord and said, “nevertheless”. They put forth an effort and obtained their desired result… two boats full of fish. Then they forsook all and followed the Lord. Isn’t it interesting when they had received what they desired, it was then they realized it wasn’t what they truly wanted or needed anyway. It’s the Lord and His presence that we truly desire and truly need. Give your frustration to the Lord and allow Him to be your strength. Take him at His word and move in faith. You may feel discouraged, defeated and done… but, “don’t wash your nets, just yet!”