As some of you know, I learned how to fish this summer.
It was one of many goals I had set for myself before the summer even began.
The first few weeks of camp had passed, and I had honestly simply forgotten about my desire to learn to fish. Then one evening I had walked down to the beach to spend some alone time with God on the big rock, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a fishing pole that had been left in the sand by a camper. Immediately my first thought was, ’Oh goodness… this is how stuff gets broken.’ So I picked up the pole and walked back to the office having completely forgotten why I had gone to the beach in the first place.
When I got back to the office, I was looking at the pole… and the wheels started churning… I knew it was hotdog night, and I remembered how one of the National Guard guys had used a hot dog for bait when he went fishing in the river. In that moment, I decided, THAT’S IT! I’m going to teach myself how to fish!
With a new fervor I quickly skipped to the kitchen, found a hotdog and some old trout bait left from a previous camp, and began the quick trek back to the river.
I spent the first 15 minutes figuring out how the pole actually worked… playing with the release button, trying to cast farther than two feet in front of me, even untangling my first fishing line knot. About 20 minutes into the experience, I was able to finally cast. I didn’t actually know how to bait the line so I just stuck some trout bait on the hook and cast hoping I was right. I waited a minute or two, and reeled the line back in. I wasn’t really surprised I hadn’t caught anything; I mean I really wasn’t even sure if I was doing it right. But I wasn’t about to quit, so I put some more bait on the hook and cast it out again. As I began to reel in the line this time, I felt a slight tug. I pulled a little, thinking it had just gotten caught on a branch (which had happened a couple of times before). I brought the line in a little, and there went that little tug again! I gripped my pole in utmost disbelief… had I actually caught one? Had I actually caught a fish? On my very first time? IMPOSSIBLE!
I looked towards the end of the line in the river… and there is was.. a little fish no more than 6 inches, fighting for its life. I kept reeling it in, pulling the pole up, and reeling it in some more (the few fishing commercials I had seen had always done that… so I assumed it was some sort of technique to catching fish). Finally after a battle of two minutes (which to me seemed like 30 minutes) I had the fish out of the river and hanging on my pole.
And then it hit me.
Now that I had caught the fish, I had to actually take it off the hook.
I fruitlessly looked around me in hopes that someone had seem my catch and would be able to lend a hand in this very vital part of the catch. But alas, everyone was still at supper. I quickly thought, ’Well… I can’t just leave it here’. So I did the only thing I could… I grabbed the fish with my hand, covering it with my flannel, and using my other hand jerked the hook from the fish. I then put it back in the river and watched it swim away; ecstatic over the events that had just occurred.
A few weeks later as I recalled that eventful night, I was reminded of the verse in Matthew where Jesus calls out to Simon and Andrew- ’Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ (Matthew 4:18-19) And I started thinking about the parallels between my fishing expedition and the fishing we had been called to do as believers. And this is where the thought train has taken me thus far…
I wanted to fish. And when the opportunity presented itself, I decided to just do it! I drew upon past experiences and things I had seen/read to figure out the basics. I even played around with the pole to figure out the mechanisms of the reel and how to work it. And once I was ready to cast, I did it. But I cast my bait without actually expecting to catch anything because, well… I was completely inexperienced and brand new at the whole fishing thing. But that didn’t matter, because within the first few minutes, I caught my first fish! And that’s when the problem actually started… I had caught the fish, but had no idea what to do with it.
And that’s when it hit me.
When I first started counseling for camp, I knew the basics. I knew the Sunday school answers, and the Roman road. I knew how to help ’bring a child to Christ’. But what I lacked was the follow through.
I truly believe that this is a problem that plaques us today. Too often we except Christ and a role in ministry, and knowing just enough; cast out that line; not actually expecting to catch anything…and then when we do; we are unprepared for what comes next.
And so my two thoughts:
- WHAT DO YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU DECIDE TO GO FISH???
- I still can’t get over it… what did I think would happen when I threw out a line with yummy fish food… into a river of fish?!? ((I feel like this point pretty well explains itself… what do you expect to happen when you share the Gospel with others…?? Do you not have enough faith to know that there will be people who hear, believe, and turn to Jesus??))
- And now we come to the importance of not only studying the word, but understanding it… and continually pursuing Christ so that we may be able to follow through with new believers… help guide them in their new faith and life, instead of just throwing them back into the river to fend for themselves among the sharks. It is our duty, our calling as believers to not only catch the men; but make disciples of them! Jesus really puts it best in Matthew…
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
To wrap up my reflection of what I have named ‘My First Encounter with Fish’, I leave you with this…
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:11-16)
Spend time in prayer… study the word… evaluate your spiritual life constantly… be accountable for your faith… and be ready for whatever the Lord sends your way…
Expect Something.
Expect great things. We serve a risen Savior… EXPECT Him to be HIM and work a miracle in the lives you are trying to reach. Expect to catch when you cast… and be ready for whatever that something is… and the best way to do that is by drawing close to God every single day. It’s a lot easier to fish if you expect to catch something… cause let’s be honest; even if you don’t catch a fish, you can come back the next day and try again… but at least you’ll be ready for the day you catch the big one!
In Hebrews 10 it says:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Expect SOMETHING! Do not be discouraged if you don’t catch anything today, but keep trying… encourage one another, and keep on fishing!
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