--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When our Lord said to the disciples…" description: "\"“When our Lord said to the disciples, \"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men\" (Matthew 4:19), His reference was not to the skilled angler, but ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/oswald-chambers-205_disciple_when-our-lord-said-to-the-disciples-foll_2124931.png" --- # When our Lord said to the disciples, "Follow me, and I… ![“When our Lord said to the disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), His reference was not to the skilled angler, but to those who use the drag-net--something which requires practically no skill; the point being that you do not have to watch your "fish," but you…” quote by Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/oswald-chambers-205_disciple_when-our-lord-said-to-the-disciples-foll_2124931.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/oswald-chambers-205_disciple_when-our-lord-said-to-the-disciples-foll_2124931.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/oswald-chambers-205_disciple_when-our-lord-said-to-the-disciples-foll_2124931.png) > ““When our Lord said to the disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), His reference was not to the skilled angler, but to those who use the drag-net--something which requires practically no skill; the point being that you do not have to watch your "fish," but you have to do the simple thing and God will do the rest. The pseudo-evangelical line is that you must be on the watch all the time and lose no oportunity of speaking to people, and this attitude is apt to produce the superior person. It may be a noble enough point of view, but it produces the wrong kind of character. It does not produce a disciple of Jesus, but too often it produces the kind of person who smells of gunpowder and people are afraid of meeting him. According to Jesus Christ, what we have to do is to watch the source and He will look after the outflow: "He that believeth on me,...out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).”” [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jesus teaches that discipleship is about trusting God to work through us, not constantly monitoring every opportunity to evangelize. **In simple terms:** Trust God to use you, don’t over‑control outreach. Key Takeaway Focus on spiritual source, let outcomes follow. Themes faith trust discipleship humility character Mood reflective hopeful serene Type spiritual inspirational theological When to use this quote - personal prayer - church ministry - daily interactions - mentoring - evangelism Key Concepts Christianity spiritual dependence mission inner transformation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance active sharing with trusting God’s timing? - What does “watching the source” look like in your life? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on constant vigilance can breed anxiety and insincerity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disciple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disciple/) [Evangelism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelism/) [Living Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-water/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) ## Related quotes > [“This last journey itself teaches the disciples that to follow Jesus means to walk the way of the cross. Jesus speaks sharply to halting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-g-bartholomew/this-last-journey-itself-teaches-the-disciples-that-to-follow-jesus/) [Craig G. Bartholomew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-g-bartholomew/) > [One can be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ without denying the flickers of the sacred in followers of Yahweh, or Kali, or Krishna.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/one-can-be-a-faithful-disciple-of-jesus-christ-without-denying-the-2/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [At the back of it there lies the central citadel of obstinacy: I will not give up my right to myself--the thing God intends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/at-the-back-of-it-there-lies-the-central-citadel-of-obstinacy-i-will/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“We advise disciples not to follow anyone. Let them follow themselves. Each one should follow his resplendent and luminous inner Being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samael-aun-weor/we-advise-disciples-not-to-follow-anyone-let-them-follow-themselves/) [Samael Aun Weor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samael-aun-weor/) > [“He chiefly used when speaking of the relations of the disciples to Himself was: "Follow me." When about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-murray/he-chiefly-used-when-speaking-of-the-relations-of-the-disciples-to/) [Andrew Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-murray/) > [“Jesus of Nazareth always comes asking disciples to follow him--not merely "accept him," not merely "believe in him," not merely "worship him," but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-camp/jesus-of-nazareth-always-comes-asking-disciples-to-follow-him-not/) Lee Camp > [“Having called his men, Jesus made a practice of being with them. 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And he \[Jesus\] said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/and-they-went-to-a-place-called-gethsemane-and-he-jesus-said-to-his/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [I don't go out and preach because of my desire as much as I go out to fulfill the command of Christ. He said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-don-t-go-out-and-preach-because-of-my-desire-as-much-as-i-go-out-to/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, "rivers of living water" will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/a-river-reaches-places-which-its-source-never-knows-and-jesus-said/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then He \*said to His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-lockman-foundation/seeing-the-people-he-felt-compassion-for-them-because-they-were/) [The Lockman Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-lockman-foundation/) ## More by Oswald Chambers > [“If we deliberately choose to obey God, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-deliberately-choose-to-obey-god-then-he-will-tax-the-remotest/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/realize-that-the-lord-is-here-now-and-the-freedom-you-receive-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/you-will-never-cease-to-be-the-most-amazed-person-on-earth-at-what/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/sorrow-burns-up-a-great-amount-of-shallowness/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/let-circumstances-take-you-where-they-will-but-keep-drawing-on-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-goal-of-faithfulness-is-not-that-we-will-do-work-for-god-but-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-in-danger-of-forgetting-that-we-cannot-do-what-god-does-and/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-a-solemn-thing-and-no-small-scandal-in-the-kingdom-to-see-god-s/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-my-holiness-is-not-drawing-towards-him-it-is-not-holiness-of-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/my-spiritual-history-must-have-as-its-underlying-foundation-a/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-always-have-visions-before-a-thing-is-made-real-when-we-realize/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-lasting-value-of-our-public-service-for-god-is-measured-by-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-thing-that-awakens-the-deepest-fountain-of-gratitude-in-a-human/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The secret of the missionary is...I am His, and He is carrying out His work through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-secret-of-the-missionary-is-i-am-his-and-he-is-carrying-out-his/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) [Explore all 922 Oswald Chambers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## More Disciple quotes > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“It is one thing being disciplined to plan and it is another thing being a disciple of great work. Be your own disciplinarian.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-is-one-thing-being-disciplined-to-plan-and-it-is-another-thing/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I have no disciples, being myself an aspirant after discipleship and in search of a guru.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-have-no-disciples-being-myself-an-aspirant-after-discipleship-and/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If the civil magistrate be a Christian, a disciple or follower of the meek Lamb of God, he is bound to be far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-williams/if-the-civil-magistrate-be-a-christian-a-disciple-or-follower-of-the/) [Roger Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-williams/) > [I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed... My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God's hands...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-madrid/i-am-part-of-the-fellowship-of-the-unashamed-my-past-is-redeemed-my/) [Patrick Madrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-madrid/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Christ died. He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/christ-died-he-left-a-will-in-which-he-gave-his-soul-to-his-father/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [It is conceivable that God might have ordained to preach the Gospel directly to man through dreams, visions and revelations. But as a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/it-is-conceivable-that-god-might-have-ordained-to-preach-the-gospel/) [J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/) > [The real guru is the pure intellect within; and the purified, deeply aspiring mind is the disciple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinmayananda-saraswati/the-real-guru-is-the-pure-intellect-within-and-the-purified-deeply/) [Chinmayananda Saraswati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinmayananda-saraswati/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Smartass Disciple: But, you said that it's the truth?? Master of Stupidity: O Yes. That is yesterday's truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/smartass-disciple-but-you-said-that-it-s-the-truth-master-of/) [Toba Beta \[Betelgeuse Incident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/) > [The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-greatest-issue-facing-the-world-today-with-all-its-heartbreaking/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The founder of any branch must be more ingenious than the common man. However, if his achievement is not carried on by disciples of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-founder-of-any-branch-must-be-more-ingenious-than-the-common-man/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny himself. To deny oneself means to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-of-alaska/the-first-duty-of-a-christian-of-a-disciple-and-follower-of-jesus/) Innocent of Alaska > [“meekness and lowliness of heart are to be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, just as they were of the Master. And further, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-murray/meekness-and-lowliness-of-heart-are-to-be-the-distinguishing-feature/) [Andrew Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-murray/) [Browse all 752 Disciple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disciple/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When our Lord said to the disciples, \"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men\" (Matthew 4:19), His reference was not to the skilled angler, but to those who use the drag-net--something which requires practically no skill; the point being that you do not have to watch your \"fish,\" but you have to do the simple thing and God will do the rest. The pseudo-evangelical line is that you must be on the watch all the time and lose no oportunity of speaking to people, and this attitude is apt to produce the superior person. It may be a noble enough point of view, but it produces the wrong kind of character. It does not produce a disciple of Jesus, but too often it produces the kind of person who smells of gunpowder and people are afraid of meeting him. 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