(Register for the Mid-South Christian Writers conference at
by
Emily M. Akin
Simon answered, “Master,
we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I
will let down the nets. Luke 5:5 (NIV).
Some
of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen. When He called them, He didn’t offer a lot
of explanation on what they would be doing or how they would do it. Jesus
simply said, “Come, follow me. I will make you fishers of men.”
They were
professional fishermen, so they already had the knowledge and skill to catch
fish. Jesus wanted them to use their skills to bring people to Him. Sometimes,
they were discouraged because they were not getting results.
As
Christian writers we are also disciples of Jesus, we are called to go fishing
for people in different ways. We have gifts, talents, and skills that God has
given us. Like the disciples, we want to learn how to use them to spread the
gospel. And we get discouraged, too.
Fishing
in Bible times was tough, physical work. They didn’t use powerboats, rods, and
reels. They rowed or sailed to the fishing spot. Then they cast heavy nets out
to haul in lots of fish at one time. No snoozing on the pier for these
fishermen. They worked hard, yet sometimes they wondered if they were getting
results.
We
writers often wonder if writing is what we're supposed to do with our gifts. We
sometimes doubt whether we should continue. That’s OK. Even Jesus’ disciples
had doubts. We can do what they did—keep fishing. We can cast our nets for new
ideas. We can talk to other writers or non-writer friends about faith, mission,
or just about writing in general. We can attend conferences to keep our skills
up-to-date and share our experience with other writers.
Prayer:
Lord, show us how You want us to use our gifts and talents. Give us a fisherman's
net full of inspiration to jumpstart our writing ministries. Amen.
Emily
M. Akin is a writer, editor, and blogger who blogs at http://blog4writers.com. She will be presenting a workshop, Write What You Know: Finding Stories in
Everyday Life, at MSCWC on March 8.
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