Effortless Flow

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 

(Luke 5:4, NKJV)

The lives of many people are busy and stressful as we all try to achieve as much as possible at a fast speed.  When one enters the rat race of his/her season, it seems like that is the natural and logical thing to do, as often one has a goal to achieve, at times, within unrealistic timelines.  As we seek to reach the intended result, we give it our all so that we commit our energies and our time fully to the path we have taken.  It is however true that in some instances, one puts in so much effort that even when the results are achieved, there is exhaustion. The fatigue experienced makes one feel defeated, creating a a sense that the outcome is not worthy the effort made. I confess that there are times I have felt all I am doing is playing catch-up and my efforts are not enough and this is frustrating. Thankfully, there are other times when we are able to achieve great results with very little effort, leaving us in awe and thankfulness, at times even wondering how it all happened.  These results energize our hearts giving us hope and a confidence for the future.  We desire more of such results.

Our reference verse comes from a familiar conversation in the bible, where Jesus was speaking to disciples fishing including Simon Peter, and He told them to launch their nets for a catch.  The disciples had been toiling all night trying to catch fish, they were professional fishermen and knew the ropes of trade, but their efforts did not yield any catch.  The narrative tell us that when they obeyed Jesus and cast their nets again, the catch was more than they could handle.  The results were clearly divine, above their knowledge and power, results which were overflowing so that other fishermen benefited too.  Brethren, these are the kind of results that we want to have in life, results which go beyond us and impact on others.  This is only possible when we do not depend on our self-efforts and lean in to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our endeavours. We might struggle to allow ourselves to let go so that we let God, but the bible reminds us that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 109:105), He knows the way that we should go for the desired results, His word guides our steps to success.  God states that His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9), this is not a statement of boasting but it is a statement of fact.  God’s ways are superior to ours and therefore His results will also be more superior than we can ever achieve on our own.

As I pondered on this message, I was reminded of water flowing.  Standing at a train station, I observed some little water flowing down a pavement which to my eyes seemed flat, but the water moving was evidence that there was a gradient running down the pavement. The amount of water was little but it effortlessly went a distance, gliding gracefully.  I saw the distance covered as a result of little effort occasioned by freely following the gradient, it was a free flow.  Reflecting on this, I concluded that it is not about how much we fight, push and pull to achieve what we want, if this is what it is all about, the results will not be satisfying regardless of how much we have planned.  We need to freely flow in the leading of the Holy Spirit so that the results are greater, impactful and satisfying. 

Beloved, I am inviting you to try it God’s way and not your way, live and function in flow by the Holy Spirit of God.  The psalmist also reminds us that our Father leads us in still waters, restoring and refreshing our souls, leading us in righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:2-3).  The imagery of this chapter gives our hearts confidence that we are safe when we trust in His leading. Beloved to experience the results that we want to see in our lives, we need to ask God for His ways and Paul reminded us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all what we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).  God’s power flowing in our lives, will produce God-sized results beyond what we could ever achieve on our own.  I invite us to flow in His ways and allow ourselves to be awestruck by the results.

Thoughts:

How surrendered are you to operating in flow?

Are there areas in your life you are moving by your own efforts?

Looking back, do you have memoirs of God-sized results in your life?

What would hinder your moving in flow?