In Luke 5:4-11, Peter didn’t catch any fish the whole night but when Jesus instructed him to do so, he obeyed resulting in a huge haul of fish! Peter, an experienced fisherman, did not allow his failures to stop him from taking advice from Jesus who was a carpenter. Indeed he became Jesus’ follower after the miracle.
The story led to some personal reflection. If I fail after numerous attempts, do I pause to think if I’m doing it God’s way? Is God trying to direct me to seek His wisdom? And if He directs me to do it another way, would I just obey; even when my experience tells me otherwise? Or I may be so discouraged after repeated failures, wanting to give it all up – would I listen to His voice to try again, one more time?
We can learn from Peter’s response : “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” 1 Cor 1:25