April 14|When Jesus Makes Breakfast: Finding God in Your Monday Morning
John 21:5
“He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
The Monday Morning Disconnect
Have you ever felt God was nowhere to be found in your Monday morning? When the alarm blares and the coffee spills and your commute stretches into eternity... it's easy to think Jesus only shows up in church buildings or during major spiritual experiences. We often compartmentalize our faith, expecting God to appear in designated "spiritual spaces" while our everyday routines remain ordinary and mundane.
But what if I told you one of Jesus' most powerful post-resurrection appearances happened during... breakfast?
This unexpected encounter challenges everything we assume about where and how God shows up in our lives. It invites us to discover the divine in the daily, the sacred in the simple, and the extraordinary in the ordinary. Let's explore this surprising story and its profound implications for our Monday mornings.
The Post-Easter Reality: When The Miracle Feels Like a Memory
After witnessing the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the disciples found themselves in a strange limbo. The emotional and spiritual rollercoaster they'd experienced left them uncertain about what to do next. The euphoria of Easter Sunday had passed, and they were faced with the reality of continuing life after such a monumental event.
Sound familiar? We've all experienced powerful spiritual moments – a moving worship service, a breakthrough in prayer, a life-changing retreat – only to wonder how to carry that experience into our everyday lives. When Monday comes, the miracle can sometimes feel like just a memory.
This is exactly where we find Peter and the disciples in John 21. After everything they'd witnessed, after the emotional whiplash of seeing Jesus die and then appear again alive, Peter makes a simple announcement: "I'm going fishing."
Back to the Familiar: When We Return to Our Comfort Zones
Peter's decision to go fishing wasn't a spiritual retreat or a prayer session. It was a return to the familiar – his old job, the work he knew before everything changed. The disciples joined him, getting back to what felt comfortable and known after a season of upheaval.
How many of us do the same? When life gets overwhelming or uncertain, we often retreat to what we know. We go through the motions of our routines. We focus on the tasks at hand. We put one foot in front of the other and just keep going.
And there's nothing inherently wrong with this response. Peter wasn't running from God by returning to his fishing boat. He was simply doing what made sense in a moment of uncertainty. Sometimes getting back to normal routines is exactly what we need.
But what Peter and his friends were about to discover is that "normal" and "mundane" don't mean "God-less." In fact, sometimes the mundane is exactly where Jesus chooses to meet us.
The Empty Nets: When Our Efforts Come Up Short
"They fished all night and caught nothing. Empty nets. Wasted effort."
After a full night of work, the professional fishermen had nothing to show for it. Their expertise, their effort, their persistence – all resulted in empty nets. If they weren't already discouraged, this fruitless labor certainly didn't help.
How many of us know what that feels like?
The pointless meeting that seems to go nowhere
The project that doesn't yield the expected results
The relationships that seem stuck
The spiritual practices that feel like going through motions
The prayers that seem to hit the ceiling
Empty nets come in many forms, but the feeling is universal: disappointment, frustration, and the sense that our efforts have been wasted. This is the precise moment when many of us would least expect to encounter God. We associate divine interventions with success and blessing, not with failure and emptiness.
Yet it's often in these moments of coming up empty that we're most positioned to recognize our need for divine intervention.
The Shore-Side Stranger: An Unexpected Encounter
As dawn broke over the Sea of Galilee, a figure stood on the shore.
"Friends, haven't you caught anything?" the stranger called out.
"No," they shouted back, probably frustrated, definitely tired.
"Throw your net on the right side of the boat," the man suggested.
Imagine the disciples' internal eye-roll at this shore-side fishing expert. Who does this guy think he is? We're professional fishermen! We've been doing this all our lives! We've been at it all night! What difference could switching sides possibly make?
But something – perhaps desperation, perhaps a whisper of hope – led them to follow this strange instruction. And suddenly, miraculously, the nets were so full they couldn't even haul them in.
That's when John realized: "It is the Lord!"
The Recognition: Seeing Jesus in Unexpected Places
What's fascinating about this story is that Jesus was physically present, yet the disciples didn't immediately recognize Him. It wasn't until the miracle of the fish that John made the connection. And even then, it seems the others weren't immediately certain until they joined Him on shore.
How often might Jesus be present in our lives – speaking to us, guiding us, working around us – while we remain unaware? How many "strangers" offering unexpected advice might actually be divine appointments? How many "coincidences" might be holy orchestrations?
The resurrected Jesus wasn't waiting for the disciples in the temple. He wasn't making a grand entrance at a religious ceremony. He showed up at work – right in the middle of their professional disappointment – and turned failure into abundance.
The Breakfast: Divine Encounters in Daily Routines
But the story gets even better. When the disciples reached shore, exhausted and amazed, Jesus had already started a fire. The creator of the universe, the conqueror of death, was cooking breakfast.
"Come and have breakfast," Jesus said.
No theological discourse. No dramatic pronouncements. No rebuke for their lack of faith or for returning to their old lives. Just... breakfast. The resurrected Lord of all creation, preparing a simple meal for his tired friends.
This beautifully mundane moment reveals something profound about the heart of God and how He chooses to engage with us. Jesus doesn't only meet us in the extraordinary; He meets us in the everyday. He doesn't demand that we create special spiritual environments for encountering Him; He steps into our normal routines and transforms them with His presence.
Breaking Our Expectations: God Outside the Box
This story in John 21 shatters our expectations of where God shows up. The disciples discovered Jesus in the most ordinary moment imaginable – at work, during breakfast. Not during a worship service. Not during a spiritual high. Just Monday morning, doing their jobs.
We often limit God by our expectations of where and how He should appear. We create artificial divisions between the "sacred" and the "secular," assuming God is more present in church than in our cubicles, more attentive during Bible study than during our commute, more interested in our prayers than in our paperwork.
But what if these distinctions exist only in our minds, not in God's reality? What if Jesus is just as present in your office as He is in the sanctuary? What if the Holy Spirit is just as active during your commute as during communion?
The Invitation: Finding Jesus in Your Monday Morning
"Come and have breakfast," Jesus said to his friends. This simple invitation speaks volumes about how Jesus wants to relate to us. He doesn't just want to be worshipped from afar. He wants to share meals with us. He wants to be involved in our daily lives, not just our Sunday services.
The invitation still stands. Jesus is still calling out from the shore of our busy, often disappointing lives, offering guidance, abundance, and fellowship if we'll recognize Him there.
So what does this mean for you and me on Monday morning?
It means Jesus might be waiting for you:
At your kitchen table
In your morning commute
At your desk or workstation
In the break room conversation
During the mundane tasks of your job
In the middle of your professional disappointments
The question isn't whether Jesus is present in these spaces; it's whether we have eyes to see Him there.
Practical Steps: Recognizing Jesus in the Everyday
How can we become more aware of Jesus' presence in our ordinary moments? Here are some practical suggestions:
Practice Mindfulness - Instead of rushing through routines on autopilot, slow down enough to notice what's happening around you. The stranger with advice might be a divine appointment. The unexpected solution might be heavenly guidance.
Pray During Transitions - Use the natural transitions in your day (driving to work, walking between meetings, waiting for coffee) as reminders to acknowledge God's presence with you.
Look for "Nets Full of Fish" - Notice unexpected provision, "coincidences," and moments of abundance. These might be signs of Jesus' guidance and care.
Transform Tasks Through Gratitude - Even mundane tasks can become worship when done with gratitude. Thank God for the ability to work, for daily provision, for ordinary graces.
Share Your "Breakfast Table" - Invite Jesus into everyday conversations and meals. Acknowledge Him as present in ordinary interactions.
Expect Divine Appointments - Approach each day with anticipation that God might show up in unexpected ways and through unexpected people.
The Extraordinary in the Ordinary
Tomorrow, as you move through your ordinary routines, look for Him. The One who turned water into wine can certainly transform your mundane Monday into an encounter with the divine. The resurrected Lord still shows up in unexpected places – even at breakfast – especially when we feel like we've come up empty.
What ordinary moment might become extraordinary for you this week if you look for Jesus there? Where are the breakfast tables in your life where He might already be waiting?
May you discover the risen Lord right where you least expect Him—in the beautifully ordinary moments of your perfectly regular day.
Reflection Questions:
When have you experienced God showing up in an unexpected, ordinary moment?
What areas of your daily routine do you typically consider "God-less" or purely secular?
Where might Jesus be calling to you from the shore of your life right now?
How can you create more space for recognizing divine encounters in your everyday life?
Prayer for Monday Morning:
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see You in the ordinary moments of this day. Help me recognize Your voice giving direction when I feel like I'm coming up empty. Remind me that You're not above cooking breakfast or showing up at my workplace. May my mundane Monday become sacred ground because You are present. Amen.
An Invitation to go Deeper….
If today’s message spoke to you, join the FaithLabz 30-Day Prayer Challenge and strengthen your connection with God’s unshakable love. You are never alone—let’s grow together!
