A poor man inspires this little story, one you’ve probably heard. It’s called the Mexican Fisherman Story*, and it’s a parable about simplicity, about gaining more by doing less — indeed, about doing less for God. Thus, it’s about living at God’s perfect pace, not just during Lent — now under way — but always. Here’s the story:
An American businessman was standing on the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish, asking how long it took to catch them.
“Only a little while,” the Mexican replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American asked.
“I have enough to support my family’s needs,” the Mexican said.
“But,” the American asked, “what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor.”
The American scoffed, “I have a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should fish more. Work more. Earn more. Buy a bigger boat. And then? You could buy several boats, eventually owning a fleet. Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you could sell directly to consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But señor, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “Oh, fifteen to twenty years.”
“But what then, señor?”
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”
“Millions, señor? Then what?”
The American said slowly, “Then you would retire, move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
Ah, yes. We see the point: Working day and night to have more and be more only leaves us with less.
Even when we work for God? Especially when we work for God. As it turns out, our doing more for God — who doesn’t need our selfish doing — is far less crucial than being more of God to a hurting world.
More kind and more thoughtful and more love.
I reflect on this irony after considering my own work schedule. When the year started, I outlined a half-dozen key “important” projects to tackle. Quickly, I devolved into driving hard and running fast. You know that grind. “Doing more for God,” I was meeting myself going and coming.
In recent weeks, however, during the Lenten season, I invited myself to pursue not projects but His presence.
So I’m going s-l-o-w-e-r. Actually doing less. Giving my best to one thing (for me, my humble writing). And getting greater things done by the power of His Spirit.
Jesus invites us to this slower path when He says His believers “will do even greater things” than He did “because [He is] going to the Father” (John 14:12-14 NIV). By this He means that by sending us His Holy Spirit, He enables us to do greater things — not by our strength but by His Spirit’s equipping grace.
So help us, O Lord, to stop struggling in our own strength to be adequate at a zillion things.
Instead, by His Spirit, let’s do less for God by focusing on one great thing: telling the world about Christ, one person at a time.
Then He makes it more. He makes it count. He makes it great. A “simple” Mexican fisherman illustrates this blessed way, and the Lord graciously invites us to start living it.
*The original Mexican Fisherman Story is commonly attributed to German writer Heinrich Böll, a widely published post-World War II writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972.
Our doing more for God — who doesn’t need our doing — is far less crucial than being more of God to a hurting world. -@PatriciaRaybon: Click To Tweet Leave a Comment
Patricia,
It is kind of humbling when you boil it down to one simple mission statement: Tell the world about Christ – one person at a time. I look at my day and what I try to squeeze in and does it fit with my mission above? Sometimes I think the enemy tricks us into thinking we have to do something grandiose for God in order to be loved and appreciated. Nowhere does the Bible say that. His hope is that we will so exhaust ourselves with our righteous acts that we will be no earthly good. He’s got a pretty good act and people, including me, are falling for it. One simple conversation about what Christ has done for us is as noteworthy as authoring a bunch of books. Doing less for God and abiding more in Him….that’s what I/we need to shoot for. Awesome story to remind me of this fact!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Bev, blessings and thank you so much. You say it so well — the enemy’s tactic is to exhaust us. Then we’ll be no earthly good. On too many days, I confess to falling head first into that trap. Thank you for endorsing this sweeter way, abiding in Him — preparing our hearts for the next simple conversation about Christ. To Him be the glory. May we honor Him this way every day. Thank you for sharing and inspiring! Warmest thanks, Patricia
Doing less for God…so He can have more time with us. When we partner with God in his promises for us or miracles all we have to do is say yes. He, the almighty God does it all and you are right it has nothing to do with working harder, faster for Him as nothing happens no matter how much we work it is all up to God in His plan, his timing and because of who He is. He loves us no matter what should we not simply share that with others? So they too can experience God’s promises for their own lives?
Lovely post!
Jas
Blessings, Jas! Thank you so much. Like you, I’m grateful for the Lord’s permission to let Him do the heavy lifting, relying on His Holy Spirit to empower our service, whether it’s big or small. As D.L. Moody said, “There’s nothing small if God is in it.” Warmest thanks and blessings on your beautiful day! Peace and love, Patricia
Thank you so much Patricia! Balm for my soul today!
Paula, blessings — and thank you so much! It was a balm to me to share this! To God be the glory! Blessings and love today, Patricia
I love this story and boy is it timely! I’ve been preparing to make some lifestyle changes which will give me more margin each day to love people. Through writing, more personal visits, more phone calls (less texting)…a slower pace with deeper connections to others. The world would tell us (I’m approaching the big 5-0) to keep working, keep saving, keep planning for that retirement…all important and should be considered…but the truth is, we’ve confused our “wants” with our “needs” here in America. Like on HGTV when prospective home buyers say “I would have to re-do this kitchen” or “we would have to replace these floors” before making their purchase. Living with what the world sees as ‘less’ or ‘not good enough’ is not how God sees our circumstances. He’s focused on our hearts. On our purpose. On how we treat others. And most importantly, on our sharing the good news of the gospel with others.
Kellie, amen! You hit the nail on the head. In a land of abundance, it’s easy to confuse our “wants” with our “needs.” (As much as I enjoy HGTV, I notice that, too!) Indeed, our enemy gets lots of mileage out of that confusion. Blessings on your decision to make more margin in your days, allowing for deeper connections. I love how you say that, Kellie. May God bless you by His Spirit in this slower walk with Him. I’m aiming for that pace, too! Much peace and love, Patricia
Oh, the great good sense of living small and loving it BIG. Thank you, Patricia–this post is perfectly timed for me.
Michele, blessings — and thank you! “Living small and loving it BIG.” So well said! Thank you — and blessings on you in this beautiful day!
Thank you!!!!! Blessings for an amazing day with Him!
Gail, thank you so much! Blessings on you in this beautiful day, too! Let Him shine! With His love, Patricia
Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing your words-allowing God to use them to encourage my heart and bring glory to Him.
Janet, blessings and thank you! Be encouraged, indeed, as you share His glory with the world — neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend, person to person, one to one. Then He makes it bigger! What a mighty God we serve! Peace and love today, Patricia
Patricia,
Loved the fisherman story. It is so typical of Americans to say do more, work harder strive strive for then you will “have it all”. The Mexican has the right idea. Enjoy your life now. God doesn’t want us striving & doing. He wants us abiding with Him. Lysa Terkeurst said in her book The Best Yes: “Saying Yes to everything & everyone won’t make you wonder woman. It will make you a worn out woman.” God can’t use worn out women with nothing left to give. He wants us to put margin in our live & make time for Him. God would rather have us do a few things for some people & shower them with His love than to work ourselves into a frenzy doing it all. This weekend our church with another Christian church is doing “Feed the Multitude”. We will serve take out meals to the needy. On the op of the take outs is a Bible verse. We are showing our world Christ’s love. I will take a few left over casseroles & give one to in-laws & 1 to an elderly neighbor. What I do isn’t much, but it speaks volumes to those who receive it.
Blessings 🙂
Amen, wonderful Beth! You and Lysa Terkeurst are so right — God can’t use worn out women. Many blessings on your meals ministry this weekend with your sister church. A hot meal, a loving smile and a Word from God will make a world of difference to the few souls you serve. Warmest thanks, in the same way, for reaching out to me today. I’m reading your note late in the evening and it’s blessing me greatly. (Where two or three are gathered in His name…!) Warmest thanks, dear Beth, for our kindness. One by one, may we help God change the world! With His peace and love, Patricia
I needed this and was blessed by this today, Patricia. Thank you for your wise words.
Melissa, blessings and thank you so much. Your kind feedback means the world! With His great peace, Patricia
Oh, Patricia…I had started reading this the other day, got interrupted, but I’m so glad I returned to it this morning. As for so many others, your encouragement is timely. God is so good to do that for us, isn’t he? This is simply beautiful and points me to Christ in a way I long to live out. To distill all the things I *could* be doing into the few things that are best–both for my good and God’s glory!
Thank you for letting one of your main things be to share your words with our (in)community.
xo
Robin, blessings — and thank you so much! Yes, God is so good. Amazing to me how His timing is always perfect — including right here at (in)courage. Your kind words, indeed, bless me in a special way this morning. Thank you SO much. With His love, Patricia
I had never heard that story of the Mexican fisherman until you shared it here, Patricia. What an insightful parable! I appreciate your directive, too, to “be more of God to a hurting world.” Help me, Lord, to live by that goal each day–to be kind, thoughtful, loving, and intentional with those I meet, that they may come to know You. Thank you, Patricia, for the encouragement and inspiration!
Nancy, amen. Your beautiful prayer — to be kind, thoughtful, loving and intentional with all those we daily meet, so they may come to know the Lord — is a glorious summation of this little parable. Your feedback blesses me doubly, Nancy, because I almost didn’t use it here. I assumed, wrongly, that most of the women here had surely heard or read it before. But God! His Spirit pressed me to share it here as I had a few years back on another blog. I’m so blessed to hear that it encouraged you. Thank you for letting me know! Much peace and love!