My dad and my husband are avid fishermen. They especially enjoy trout fishing in the streams of the North Georgia mountains. To be a successful fisherman requires some ingenuity and some hard work. First, you have to go where the fish are. When you're talking about the heavily wooded Appalachians, that may be easier said than done. Just getting to the stream takes the navigational skill of an Army Ranger and a backpack full of energy bars! Secondly, you have to make an effort to catch fish. There's the license, the bait, the tackle, the gear, the hat. You buy the license, dig the bait (or buy the can of corn if you're fishing for trout), make sure you have extra line, then trudge through the chilly woods for an hour or so to your favorite spot. Then the work starts. Casting, reeling, casting, reeling, casting, pulling the tangled line out of the trees, recasting, reeling, hoping to catch something. Anything. This is not "sitting on the dock sipping lemonade" fishing, this is work! Third, you have to be persistent. If you don't catch something the first Saturday, you go back the next. And the next. And you keep going every weekend until you don't have to tell your wife about "the one that got away". Finally, you bring those fish home (yes, even the small ones that took the bait), clean 'em, cook 'em & eat 'em. That is why you caught them in the first place. Fish best serve their ultimate purpose alongside some french fries and homemade hush puppies.
When Jesus says, "Come follow me & I will make you fishers of men", I think he had some of these same requirements in mind.
*Go where the people are - people who are spiritually hungry or at least interested
*Make the effort - tell them about Jesus
*Be persistent - tell them about Jesus again
*Help people realize their ultimate purpose - to know Jesus & make Him known
If you need me, I've gone fishin'
1 comment:
Hey girl,
I love it keep them coming
Love
Tracy
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