Our Purpose as Fishers of Men
If you took a poll of new Christians, I would venture to guess that the majority of them would say that their number one question is “what does God want me to do?” To find your purpose in life is one of the great quests that both Christians and non-Christians will go on in life. The key difference is that Christians have a lot more help in finding their purpose in life. First, we have the Bible itself which is full of God’s truth and should lead our lives on a daily basis. The second is the Holy Spirit. He will guide you in life and lead you into the calling that God has put on your life. I will give you a forewarning now though, that calling or purpose is not what you are probably thinking that it is. I am of the firm belief that God stretches your faith and places you in uncomfortable situations so that you can truly understand the power of God and how to rely on Him. If we take a quick look at the life of the Apostle Paul, his life long ambition was to be the top Pharisee in Israel. He was well on his way to that goal until he met Jesus on the Damascus road.
The interesting aspect of finding your purpose in Jesus, is that unlike anything else in this world, there is no try-out, you do not have to prove yourself to Jesus. As a matter of fact, you can’t prove yourself. When Jesus picked His disciples; it was a very counter-cultural act because He went out and picked them. In the first century young men would try their hardest to impress the top Rabbis of the day, and these Rabbis would pick from among the best to be their disciples. Jesus picks you, and that is step one in finding your purpose.
When Jesus was calling Peter and Andrew to be His disciples; He came upon them fishing, as that was their profession.
Matthew 4:19 (NKJV): 19 “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”
Following this verse Peter and Andrew left their fishing gear and followed Jesus. In the Western church we have gotten very comfortable with leaving discipleship to pastors. This was not the original intent that Jesus had for His people. The act of becoming a “fisher of men” is for every Christian to undertake. What you must understand is that everything that has happened in your life is leading up to a moment in which it will show someone the glory of God. Your purpose is helping other people find God. There is no greater calling on earth than to be a servant of the Lord. When you start a discipleship relationship with another believer it will help grow your own faith as well. This is the call that Jesus has laid down to all of us that believe in Him.
1 Peter 2:9–10 (NKJV): “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
God has called all of us to be a “royal priesthood.” We are all active participants in the body of Christ. When you want to clarify your purpose, go back to these verses and determine if you are active in the spreading of the Kingdom. Your purpose could be found in your workplace, home or with your group of friends. God may place someone in your life that you do not know yet. When we understand that we are His ambassadors and we stand ready to help people find their way back to the Heavenly Father. This is the purpose that God has bestowed on each of us to live out in our own lives.
Live it Out - here’s some questions to help you take action from this post:
Have you accepted personal responsibility for making disciples or do you leave that for the “professional” christians?
Who are the “fish” in your life God has positioned you to catch?
What is one way you can regularly commit to making disciples?