“Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.”

There are many “strategic frameworks” out there for how to think about growing and developing a business. One that I like and have heard more over the past couple of years is the difference between being in the “red water” versus the “blue water”. Both involve where you send your boat to fish. The red water signifies going out to the same place where others are fishing and competing in a place where the sharks or other predatory fish know there is fishing occurring. They color the water from the work they are also doing while fishing is occurring. The waters are chopped up with competition and the fallout of all the competition together being in one place. Blue water signifies heading out past the competition to waters that are yet to be fished and having that part of the sea to yourself. The danger of course in always doing this is that you are out there alone, there might not be fish there to catch, you spend lots of time and fuel to get there, and once there, you may not be able to afford to return, especially if there are no fish to catch in that blue water. Regardless, it is a good metaphor for how each of us have to think about the new areas of our businesses and work, and our lives. Will we want to fish in the red or blue water and what are the pros and cons of each?

Jesus gives us the metaphor as well when he challenges Simon Peter to take the boat out in the deeper water. At first Peter argues back that they have been fishing all night and are tired and haven’t caught anything. But then in better judgment he says, “But if you say so, we will try again”. As we know, the boat overflowed with fish when they went into the deeper waters. What Christ is telling us is that it is okay to go into the deeper waters, if we go with Him. It may well be that He was also saying that staying in the shallow waters, or the red water with the rest is not where we are supposed to be but instead in the blue waters where we must trust more on Him and less in ourselves or the conventional wisdom of the world. Today, pull out the depth gauge and determine where you have been fishing. Is it in the safe but cluttered waters or are you out there in the blue with God’s hand on the rod with you? It may just be that it is time for you to head out to the blue waters!

Reference: Luke 5:4 (New Living Testament)