“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
I have been known to watch a few fishing shows, from Bill Dance back in the day to Jeremy Wade and River Monsters. I have also done some fishing over my time as well. Watching the shows, one might think it is easy and that catching fish does not take a long time. You just cast your line in and catch a fish, easy, right? No! First, you have to know what you are fishing for. This is critical. The bait you use attracts a certain kind of fish, and there are many kinds of fish, so naturally we have many kinds of bait.
Next, you have to understand the environment the fish lives in, everything from the clarity of the water to what obstructions lie just underneath the water’s surface. You never want your bait caught in the weeds or hung on some obstacle you cannot see, so you choose the right kind of lure to avoid such hazards. After all that, you still have to find the right place to fish, and weather conditions and time of year are critical to catching fish.
All that preparation, and you may still sit in a boat for hours without even having a bite, so a key feature in fishing is patience. Some days, as they say, the fish just don’t bite.
Jesus told his disciples that he would make them fishers of men, or people. They dropped everything they were doing, and for the next three years lived with the Son of God as he taught them the ways to fish for men. You could say that if you are a Christian, this fishing for men is the great ministry call on your life, telling people the good news. You might even say that fulfillment does not come until you are fishing for men.
It is sad to say that some of us like to go straight from accepting Jesus as our Lord to the front lines of the battle, fighting for the souls of men. This may be a valiant effort and done with enthusiasm, but just like jumping in a boat with a rod and reel does not make you successful at fishing, going into the battle for the souls of men without knowing the Word of God will only lead to despair.
The Bible says we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. That is the place to start. Your testimony helps you overcome because it reminds you of God in your life. Being successful fishers of men parallels fishing for fish because it involves just as much preparation as it does actual fishing. Do you know who you are going after? What bait will you use? Where do you start fishing? Have you studied the surroundings, and are you aware of the hazards lurking beneath what you can see? Are you prepared for a healthy dose of patience to account for days when the fish, people, don’t bite?
Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of people.” The Lord gave us the Word, and it is our fishing Bible. The Holy Spirit is our fishing guide. In order to catch fish, you have to prepare. Are you busy preparing, or are you getting frustrated because the fish won’t bite? Remember, Jesus said that he will make us fishers of men. It takes time to learn how, but you have to submit and start learning from the teacher.
In time, you will be the Jeremy Wade of evangelism or the C. S. Lewis of Christian literature. Whatever way the Lord uses you, remember it takes time to learn how to use all that the Lord has entrusted you with. Keep it up, commit to the learning, and the catching will come.
Prayer: Father, help us not to get discouraged by the process of winning souls. I pray that we learn how to plant the seeds and watch you grow them. I pray that we will be directed to fertile ground, ready for planting souls for Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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