As Christians, we play a specific role in the Kingdom of God. Sometimes, it is frustrating because our human nature is so results-oriented, and we want to know the impact we have had. Jesus uses examples of fishermen and farmers to remind us that there is only so much we can do. Success in the Kingdom requires our participation, but that alone does not guarantee it. A fisherman must make sure his net is whole, get in his boat, go to where he believes the fish are, and cast out the net. He then must pull it in to retrieve the catch. Skipping any of these steps guarantees failure. But doing them all does not guarantee success. He cannot force fish to swim into the net. Likewise, farmers must clear the weeds, till the soil, plant the seeds, and protect the crop the best they can until time to harvest the field. They cannot make the seed sprout or the sun and rain come to help it grow. Clearing, planting, and tending are required for a crop, but does not guarantee a harvest.In the end, God will bring the catch and harvest—but He uses us to cast and to sow.