Coming up, I would always get invitations to go fishing. The invitations would come from a lot of people, both family and friends. I accepted one time. It was the most boring time I think I ever had. All we did was sit and wait for fish that, in all honesty, might not have been there. Sure, there was nature. There was water. There were rocks. All these things were around to play with, however, you could not disturb the fish.
That's pretty much all I remember. I have been asked many times after that but, the answer has always been a resounding NO! That is until I understood that Jesus wants us to fish. He wants us, who believe in Him, to fish men for Him. Why is it different now?
You see, years ago when asked to fish, I did not have the characteristics it took to fish. I didn't know how to sit still and wait. I didn't know how to prepare the rod with line and bait. I didn't know the approach for getting the line in the water. I didn't know how to set the atmosphere for fish to come. I didn't know how to handle the fish that would accept the bait. I certainly didn't have any idea how to clean the fish. I just knew that I did not have the time to be sitting there waiting for something that might never happen. But, this is what it takes to fish for men. It takes all of the above and then some.
To fish for people, we must first be willing to go. And when we go, we must be prepared to fish, prayed up and raised up in the spirit of The Lord God almighty. We must also be willing to wait and show patience. People might not get it right away, but if you keep your faith in what The Lord can do, there will be fish. When the fish are hooked, don't panic. Let God guide the reel. He will show you how to guide it with faithfulness, self-control, patience, love, gentleness, peace, kindness and joy to see another person have eternal life. And, the best thing about it is we don't have to clean the fish. Jesus will.
I actually like fishing now, for people.
RJL
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