Fishers of Men

Today, I had the privilege of leading the Bible study with the senior adults in our fellowship who meet at the Midweek Lunch Service.  I decided to share about why it was no coincidence that Jesus' first disciples were fishermen.  You can read the account in Matthew 4:18-22.  Jesus is beginning His earthly ministry after His baptism and chooses four men who were professional fishermen to "follow Him."

Here are a few thoughts that I came away with from this...

• God never does anything by chance. Our great, sovereign Lord has a plan with every little thing that He does.  Even the most minute details and actions are a part of His glorious plan somehow.


• Fishing takes patience. I grew up fishing in the creek that ran behind our home.  There are so many different stories that I could share about those times, but one thing that I learned very quickly is that the art of fishing takes patience.  You're not going to always get a bite a couple of seconds after you put the bait in the water.  Ministry is much like fishing because it takes a great deal of patience.


• Fishing takes passion. I have sometimes wondered how some people can spend so much money and resources on fishing stuff (boat, tackle, rod & reels, etc), but it is simply because they have a passion for it.  Where there is passion, there is the full dedication of everything that we are.  You will have those who are casual fishermen but really don't have a passion, and you'll see that they never really get much done.  Ministry can easily become a chore or job to some.  When it does, the passion is sucked out along with effectiveness.  A follower of Christ has to have Jesus as their chief passion for the long haul that He calls us to.


• Fishing takes persistence. While very similar to patience, fishermen must be persistent (especially bass fishermen).  Sadly, because we live in this microwave society of expecting immediate results, persistence is becoming a lost art form.  The life that Jesus calls us to is one that must be marked with persistence.  I'm amazed at how many people "give up" on God, sharing their faith, prayer, church, tithing, etc all because they didn't see immediate results.  Just ask any fishermen who really knows his stuff and they'll tell you: if you want to catch the big one, you have to keep at it.

It is awesome to know that our God doesn't just fly by the seat of His pants, but has a plan and purpose in everything that He does.  It is also encouraging to know that He has given us some examples from everyday life (even fishing) to help us with our daily walk with Him.