I've been fishing...

Living in a fast paced and competitive world of today is indeed a stressful lot for alot of people. I hardly find time for my family as I used to, not to mention with friends. Indeed, the University experience takes alot out of me, as I find myself clearing up sleep debts.

There is something even worrying, just in the last 2 months, 2 people committed suicide by throwing themselves off the blocks near my home. One was even at my block (hence, I try not to walk under no shelter in case I go to heaven early cos of it >_<). And the recent university students who did too raised a brow or two about the stress we endure nowadays.

I find myself entering a 'depression' mode sometimes too, trying to escape from the busy schedules and work and just throwing everything away. This can be done in any form of gaming, surfing the net, watching tv, eating or sleeping. But at the end of the day, I realise, I merely run away from studies. When everything gets back to where its supposed to be, I have snow-balled my work (OH ~~ NO -.-)

So, how has my walk with God (what God let me learnt through the bible helped me?) If I do not apply what the Word teaches, no matter how much I know about God and the bible, It makes no real value in my life.

As James 1:22 puts it: "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves, DO what it says." I have so many a times brushed the murmurs of the Holy Spirit and God aside that I really cannot tell what's going on inside of me each time I feel something goes so ever wrong and I can't do anything about it.

In John 21:1-25, I learnt something yet.

After the cruxification of Jesus, the disciples were distraught. They had thought Jesus was going to bring about an earthly Kingdom which would have overthrown the Roman Empire and establish a new Kingdom in which Jesus and His disciples will reign in. However, the Kingdom Jesus spoke about was not of this world.

The distraught must have been severe because in verse 3, Simon Peter told the rest of the disciples "He was going fishing". Whatever the disciples had went through with Jesus in the 3 and half years they saw great miracles had ended. Jesus had died, and Simon Peter was about to roll-back onto his old profession (they were fishermen before they followed Christ). This was something familiar to them. It was their old way of life.

Or at least they thought so.

They fished the whole night and caught nothing. And there they heard a man from the beach telling them to cast their net on the other side. Guess who. It was Jesus. This is a parallel if you would read Luke 5. Luke 5:1-11 was an account of how Jesus first called out his disciples from fishermen to "fishers of men". Jesus was not about to let His disciples steer off the course He intended for them to live by.

Ok, there is still alot of things to read on but what value does it make to us? How can we apply this account here and now in my life?

There are indeed a few I can think about:
1) How has Jesus first called me into a new life?
2) Have I, like the disciples grown weary because we do not see God working and "goes fishing" in our lives? (the fishing may be any distraction between us and God and the way He intended for us to live.)
3) Has Jesus come to that beach by the sea to call me?
4) How will I respond to what Jesus and God has revealed to me so far?
5) How does the verses show of God's promises and providence in life?

Escaping from stress and procrastinating in studies is running away from the problem, and I will continue to "fish" as long as I do not realise the true source of providence is God. I will continue to catch nothing in life. I need to face up. Take the challenge head-on and win. I need to not forget the calling of God in my life.

It is my prayer if you been "fishing in distractions" in life and caught nothing yet, that Jesus Himself will be calling you in your heart. He is the only one who can steer us right in this world that is so ever full of things that can put us off track.

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