Fishing on the Wrong Side of the Boat

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Fishing on the Wrong Side of the Boat

Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing! They said to Him, And we are coming with you! So they went out and got into the boat.
—John 21:3

Peter wasn't sure what he should do after Jesus rose from the dead and proved Himself alive to him and the disciples. So he went back to what he was doing before he met Jesus: fishing. The others decided to join with Peter, and fished throughout the night but caught nothing.

John 21:4-5 says, "Morning was already breaking when Jesus came to the beach and stood there. However, the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, Boys (children), you do not have any meat (fish), do you?...They answered Him, No!" Emotional decisions usually leave us "catching nothing." In other words, they don't provide satisfying results.

The passage continues in verse 6: "And He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find [some]. So they cast the net, and now they were not able to haul it in for such a big catch...[was in it]." It's interesting that Jesus didn't call the disciples men, but rather He called them children. He asked them, "Are you doing any good at what you are trying to do?" That is a question we might ask ourselves when we have no fruit (or fish) to show for the long hours we work.

When we fish outside of the will of God, it's equivalent to fishing on the wrong side of the boat. Sometimes we struggle, strive, work, and strain, trying to make something great happen. We try to change things, or change ourselves. We try to get more money. We try to get healed. We try to change our spouse or even try to find a spouse. We can work and work, but still have nothing to show for our labor. Have you caught anything? Have you accomplished anything besides getting worn out? If your answer is no, you may be fishing on the wrong side of the boat. If you listen for God's voice, He will tell you where to throw your net.

From the book New Day, New You: 365 Devotions for Enjoying Everyday Life by Joyce Meyer.