Our Fear of not Being Good Enough for the Lord

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’

Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:1-11 NIV)

From the very beginning, sin has come between God and us. After they were disobedient to the Lord, Adam and Eve hid from Him (Genesis 3:8). After killing his brother, Cain was banished from the Lord’s presence (Genesis 4:16). So Peter, a Jew, was well acquainted with sin’s effects.  So his instinctive reaction to the divine power of Jesus was to separate himself from Him.  And it can be ours as well.

On campus, one can sense sin’s impact. For many who party, sleep around, and live for themselves, the underlying motivation is the recognition they are sinful people.  They’ve messed up repeatedly and they don’t feel good enough for God, so why try? Many times we have students remain on the fringes of our ministry for this very reason. They’re inclined to come around as means to assuage their guilt, but they won’t truly pursue Jesus because they fear they are not good enough to follow Him. Like Peter, they feel the need to keep Him at a distance.

Yet, the words of our Lord to Peter are powerful: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” Jesus was well aware of Peter’s sin, yet invited him to be part of His mission to reconcile people to God.

What about you? Have you allowed your sinfulness to separate you from the Lord and what He desires for your life?  Are you afraid you are not worthy to be a truly committed follower?  If so, then find hope and courage in the Lord’s interaction with Peter.  Humble yourself before Him and confess your sinfulness. Don’t be afraid. As long as you recognize your shortcomings, He can use you in powerful ways to draw other sinners into a relationship with Himself.

© Jim Musser 2017