Colossians 1:9-14 / Luke 5:1-11
We use the term "give up" so often and we accept the understood meaning without questioning.
The term "give up" is used to mean to abandon or to surrender, e.g. to give up the effort; to give up the idea; to give up on answering the question.
In the gospel, we get the impression that Simon Peter had given up for the day. He had worked hard all night long and caught nothing and were washing his nets with tiredness and disappointment.
Then Jesus came along and got into his boat and taught the crowds from the boat. After that He asked Simon Peter to put out into deep water and pay out his nets for a catch.
Simon Peter could have given up that idea as he had already given up on the day. He was not going to be disappointed again.
But it can be said that Simon Peter did not gave up to disappointment, rather he gave in to Jesus, and his life changed with that. In the end he gave in all to Jesus and followed Him.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul urged the Colossians not to give in to their disappointments or difficulties. He reminded them that they would have the strength of the power of God to bear anything joyfully.
Like Simon Peter, they just had to give in to Jesus who would pull them out of the power of darkness and disappointment.
Let us also give in to Jesus and follow Him and we will see wonderful things happening in our lives.