The fisherman sorted carefully through his tackle inventory for just the right lure. Fishing in clear water, he knew the fish he sought was a sight feeder, so he chose accordingly. He was confident the shine off his favorite metal jig would entice the barracuda to take the bait. At the end of the day, his planning proved successful.
When I was little, our family would fish along the bank. The greatest pull of fishing to me, then and now, is the relaxing time outdoors. Truth be told, I was usually more interested in playing with the bait worms than how many fish I caught. Although I was quite confident of my fishing skills the day I landed one without any bait on my hook.
Unlike my approach to fishing, real anglers take the task quite seriously. They study their quarry and learn what bait will be sure to entice them. To a professional fisherman, how many fish they catch can be a matter of life and death.
Jesus calls each of us to be fishers of men. Our success most certainly is a matter of life and death. We fish in the waters of our jobs, homes and neighborhoods. Every interaction we have with another is a fishing excursion. If the bait we display is made of the darkness of the world at large, no one will even nibble. But if we shine His light brightly, just like the barracuda, they’ll be enticed to come and see what it is that makes us different.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:15b
Ann, great analogy! My dad loved to fish and taught me how. Those are some of the best memories I have of our time together. Now that I think about it, some of the most wonderful days since becoming a Christ follower have been when I cast the net in faith where He's told me to cast it. Thanks so much for this today!
ReplyDeleteDonna- thanks for stopping by. I know your teaching nets have caught many for the Kingdom.
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