Fish Much?

I enjoy getting away from the rush and busy that is everyday life, and one place that is a haven for our family is Hume Lake. It is far enough away and up in the woods that there is no cable, internet, or cell service. It is almost like being cut off from society as we all know it, and when we are up there, we fish.

Fishing is an interesting sport to say the least. I don’t really know why they call it a sport, because the amount of physical exertion is minimal at best. Anyway, fishing takes gear, some know-how, and patience. I mention know-how, because if you have ever shopped for fishing gear or bait, there are more choices than books at a local library. Everything from size of gear that equates to the size of fish you are seeking to catch, to every color bait and or lure known to man (and some colors that are not…).

In order to purchase the right equipment, one must know the area where you will be fishing or angling (for those aficionados of the sport), and also the type of fish you will be trying to catch. Once you have purchased the required equipment, you then have to have the know-how to put all the gear together, utilize the best bait for the desired prey, and the approximate best location in which to seek them. All-in-all, it is part work, part guess work, and requires the patience of Job. All this got me thinking this week about something Jesus said in Matthew 4:19:  

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

When I first read this I just chalked it up to the context of the passage and to whom Matthew was first writing, and never thought of it in today’s context. Then I went fishing, and it hit me how relative this application is today. Think about it. If we as Christians are to model Christlikeness, follow His teachings and instructions, then we too should become fishers of men.

One of the most critical aspects of fishing, and a necessary requirement: BAIT. This is what you put on the hook to attract the fish. Only with the proper bait is there a real chance of catching fish. In Jesus’ time, it would have been more about the net. Either way, whether bait or a net, without them, fishing is impossible. But something else occurred to me as well: no matter what you use, it is impossible to make a fish bite your bait or get into your net; you need to be in the right place at the right time.

It is exactly the same with our faith lives. If we are to live out this principle of being fishers of men, we must be in the right place at the right time; then the net or bait can do what it does best. Weird analogy maybe, but as Christians, we have the perfect bait or net if you will: the Word of God. Our job is not to make sure people eat the bait or get into the net, but really just to put it out there as often and as much as possible, so that it is in the right place at the right time. Get it?

We, as Christians, are not “selling” anything, but merely putting His Word out there and letting the power of the Word do it’s work. We are not obligated to convince, coerce, or convict. That job belongs to the Holy Spirit, and Him alone. We just need to get out there and fish.

…just sayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat