Gone Fishing

Last week, my family and I were able to spend some time with my wife's parents in Elkville, IL.  My father-in-law is the pastor of Philadelphia Baptist Church in Du Quoin, IL.  We were able to present our ministry in that church, as well as another church that was in the area.

Toward the end of the week, my nephew Ashton, my father-in-law and I went fishing.  This was the first time that I had been fishing in over 12 years.  When I was a teenager, we lived across from a river, and we used to go fishing all of the time.  When I got older, we moved into a city and just never really found time to go fishing.  So, it was a real treat to sit out on the dock, spend some time with the guys, and even catch some fish! 

As we were fishing, I couldn't help but think of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, when He said: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  (Matthew 4:19)  There are many parallels between fishing, and witnessing.  Here are just a few that I thought of:

1) A Fisherman is Patient
Just as a fisherman must be patient if he is to catch any fish, as soul-winners, we must also be patient.  A fisherman can't make the fish bite.  All he can do is bait his hook, and put his line in the water.  The same is true when we witness.  We can't make anyone accept Christ.  All we can do is testify of His saving power! 

2) A Fisherman Varies His Approach
Also, good fishermen know that they must approach different fish in different ways.  Not all types of bait work for all fish.  Not all types of hooks work for all types of fish.  Sometimes a fisherman even has to use different types of lines, and poles, etc...  And when it comes to witnessing, we ought to know that we can't use a "one-size-fits-all" approach!  Everyone is different, and must be reached at their level. 

I hope everyone gets to do a little bit of fishing for men this week!