Fishers of Men: Patience and Persistence

Today’s character traits of fishermen – Patience and Persistence. 

I think we can probably easily see how these traits apply to being fishers of men and our Christian life, but let’s take a few moments to dig a little deeper in God’s Word.

If you’re just joining us in this study, start here. 🙂

Most of you know by now that I love to start my study of the Bible by defining words–even if I think I know the meanings. There are often hidden treasures in those definitions that give me a deeper understanding of God’s Word.

Patience - suffering with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. A calm temper which bears evils without murmuring or discontent; waiting long for expected good without discontent; bearing offenses without anger or revenge

Persistence - Steady pursuit of what is undertaken; perseverance. When we persevere, we pursue steadily, even when it gets hard, we don’t give up. 

Patience and persistence always leads me to James 5:7-8. It says, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

We have HOPE as we look to the LORD’s return. We have HOPE in our eternal home in heaven. That HOPE should cause us to press on in our walk with the LORD.

So how do we live this life while we wait for that HOPE?

I Timothy 6:11-12

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

We must fight the good fight, lay hold on eternal life. Press toward the mark!

Philippians 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We must forget those things that are behind and lay aside every weight.

Hebrews 12:1-2

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The race set before us is living a life pleasing to the LORD which would draw others to Christ.

What do we need to lay aside? Our burdens and our sin.

Burdens will be different for each of us. It would be anything that is heavy on our hearts, threatening to discourage and defeat us — or even to distract us from the race set before us.

And we all have sin in our lives. We cannot be sinless, but we should sin less as we grow in our Christian life. But we must be willing to examine our hears from time to time. Do we have a specific sin that God has revealed to us and we have been unwilling to give it up? Do we have a besetting sin–something we continually struggle with or have a weakness toward?

We are to lay aside our burdens and sin and run the race with patience. We need to be steadfast and firmly fixed—looking unto Jesus. When we look to Jesus, it helps to keep all other things in perspective. The troubles and trials we face, the activities we’re involved in, and the busyness of life. 

We must keep an eternal perspective. So much of what we do on this earth has no eternal value (in and of itself), but how we do it matters. It’s how we represent the Lord. It’s the testimony we have while we are living our lives here on this earth.

Remember this series is based in John 21, so take some time to read over it again.

What did Peter have to lay aside when he cast himself into the sea to get to Jesus?

Peter had betrayed Christ. And that failure was probably still fresh in his mind. Peter had to lay that aside and look unto Jesus. 

He had to get to Jesus to be restored into a right relationship and sweet fellowship with His Savior. 

Whatever weight or sin you may have that is holding you back, I pray that you will lay it aside. Set your focus on Jesus and living a life for Him. It will take patience and persistence…along with hard work, courage and faith.