Keep casting your nets

Are you working towards a big goal in your life at the moment? Maybe it’s a fitness or business goal, or maybe you’re working to improve in some area. Whatever the goal may be, it’s probably safe to say that it’s going to take a lot of time and effort. 

You see, in order to make progress in any area of our lives we occasionally have to take giant scary leaps, but more often we take tiny tedious steps. Like fisherman, day after day, casting our nets, we take the tiny steps necessary to reach our big goals. There’s no fanfare. No thrill. Just those repetitive things we do to keep the ball rolling up the hill, instead of staying comfortably, yet frustratingly, at the bottom. 

And sometimes, those small steps can seem excruciating. Especially when we’ve been taking them for a long while and it doesn’t look like we’ve made any progress. Sometimes it can actually look like we’re standing still or even going backwards.

But we’ve all heard about those 10-year overnight successes. We know that when we take all those tedious steps with intention, we are putting ourselves on the right path and sooner or later—probably later—we will absolutely see the fruit. 

The story about the disciples fishing all night comes to mind:

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. – John 21:1-6

Recently I was reminded of this concept through the stories of two public figures who I very much admire: Tyler Perry and Lysa Terkeurst. One is in the movie/tv industry and the other is a Christian author and speaker. They’ve both talked about the slow and seemingly fruitless beginning steps of their callings. 

Tyler spent 7 years doing plays that went almost entirely unnoticed and put him in debt. Lysa experienced countless rejection letters from publisher after publisher. They both had a strong sense of what God called them to, so they kept casting their nets—though I am sure it felt like the longest dark night of fishing, without a single catch.

God however, saw their faithfulness. He saw how Tyler decided, after years of perceived failure, to set his full intention on lifting people up with funny yet inspirational stories. He also saw how Lysa decided, after years of rejection, to put her dream of being published in God’s Hands. She knew that if she stayed faithful to write the articles she was being offered, He would be faithful to do bring her a publisher at the right time.

Then morning came. Out of no where, Jesus told them to do what they had both done countless times without results. 

“Tyler, put this play on for Me.” 

“Lysa, write this article for Me.” 

And to His disciples, “… cast your nets on the right side of the boat.” 

Tyler’s career finally took off with massive success. Lysa finally got a call from an unsolicited publisher who read one of her articles and wanted to give her a book deal. And the disciples could not even pull in the large amount of fish they caught. 

What nets do you need to keep casting? 

Can I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to keep it up? Even if you don’t see immediate results, and even if you haven’t any clue what your calling is—I think we know plenty of good and worthy things to do right now. Just start casting.

God sees every effort we make.

Set your good intention keep casting. Keep hoping. Keep showing up.

I assure you the morning will come when Jesus tells you to cast again, and your small nets will not be able to hold it all. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9