“Jesus
revealed himself again to his disciples... He said to them, ‘Cast
your net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.’” –John 21:1, 6
The apostles
are good at what they do. They’re able to provide for their families with the
fish they catch. This night, though, they’ve caught nothing. Their usual way of
doing things isn’t working. He tells them to cast their nets over the right side. We usually interpret ‘right’
here as being the opposite of left, but if we read it as ‘correct’ the message
changes a bit. They do it His way and
haul in a boatful of fish.
What about
you? Maybe you used to feel productive, but lately you haven’t. Maybe you feel stagnant.
Picture yourself telling Jesus how empty life feels sometimes. Imagine Him
saying something like this to you:
“You’re doing good things; now, change
how you do them. Try My way. Change your attitude from that of ho-hum
obligation to one of anticipation and expectation of what I may do through you
in your work. Let Me reveal Myself to you and those around you. Drop the
attitudes of ‘Is this all there is?’ and ‘There’s nothing to look forward to.’
You have ME to look forward to. Look up and out instead of downcast and you’ll
see Me. ‘Cast your net over the right side of your boat and you’ll find
something’ -- you’ll find Me.”
Our Lord’s
not asking for an attitude adjustment; He’s asking for a purpose adjustment. Look beyond the work itself and see it as part
of His mission. You play an important role in His work of loving the world! He needs
you to reveal Himself to the people around you. You may see it as only a job,
but consider: Your friendly smile may reassure a stressed coworker or customer.
The father of a feverish child might offer a silent prayer of thanks when he
sees you’ve stocked the store shelf with the medicine his little son needs. The
products you sell may be treasured gifts that strengthen friendships. Your
compassionate ear may help a young woman feel valuable, which motivates her to take
better care of herself. The music you share lifts the spirits of your listeners.
The small children you care for will learn from you how to show love and
respect to others.
Your way was
good; now our Lord may be asking you to let Him show you a more fulfilling way
– with Him as your purpose. Let Him use you to reveal His love for the world
through your work.
“Lord, I want to work
for and with You. Show me the way.”
Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina
Bedell Comments are always welcome!
Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below.
Thanks!
p.s.
We continue to pray for an
end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the
Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit
card here:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/...
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