Let's Go Fishing

A pastor friend of mine and I had an opportunity to go fishing one day last week. We headed out to Rural Retreat Lake for some bass fishing. I happen to do more fishing than I do catching most of the time but I still enjoy being out there. I remember a story of two old boys who went fishing in a boat and caught a bunch. One of them told the other to mark the spot so they could come back next time and catch some more. After docking the boat the one asked, “Did you mark our spot?” The other said he did. When the one asked, “How did you mark it?” The guy said, “I put an “X” on the side of the boat.” The other was angry and said, “That was stupid! Now what if we don’t get to rent the same boat next time?” That was not my friend and I in case you are wondering.

We were in a boat and had a descent day but we never caught any that we would take a picture of. Coming back into the dock after several hours on the lake we encountered two boys fishing on the dock. They were about twelve I guess, I was ashamed to ask them their age. As we docked my friend went to get the truck and I struck up a conversation with them. They were very nice kids and as we were talking a fish jumped up under a bush along the shore near the dock. The smaller boy went after it; and caught it. He came around the bushes holding his fishing pole up in the air with a good size bass hanging on the end of his line! Much bigger than anything we had caught. I told him to make sure my friend in the truck got to see it, and he did. One of them then showed us a picture of a seven pound bass he had caught there earlier in the year with his dad. After telling us how to catch them and what to use my friend asked if they would be there next week and if so, if they would be willing to give us some fishing lessons if we paid them. They laughed of course, but I think he was serious. After all we had a boat, all kind of tackle and lures and still never did as good as they did.

When Jesus told a couple of fisherman to follow Him and that He would make them fishers of men I think they followed out of curiosity as much as obedience. They were professional fisherman so what could a carpenter’s son possibly teach them about fishing for anything? I think we sometimes think the same way today in that “catching men for Christ” can only be done by professionals. TV ministers and travelling evangelists, local pastors and counselors perhaps are considered to be soul winners it seems. We have forgotten the power of testimony! Telling others what Jesus has done for us. He has done different things for all of us and when we share our story with someone else, they may be going through the same thing that Christ brought us out of.

Fish don’t know if a professional fisherman hooks them or if it is a kid on his first time out. The fish just takes the bait. Quit over complicating witnessing. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar to win souls to Christ!  Just fish.