Matthew 4:19

Matthew 4:19 from the KJV of the Bible states: “…Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  This is Jesus telling Simon Peter and Andrew to lay aside their physical fishing nets to follow him, to preach the truth he preached among the people, to do the works he did – healing others from the base of knowing mankind is created good by God.

As I was thinking about what it takes to be a fisherman or fisherwoman, I reflected back on my time fishing with my family, specifically my dad, but my mom and brother also fished.  We always had to be quiet.  No sudden noises or movement were allowed.  It’s a quiet sport which gives one time for reflection and contemplation of everything good in the world – love, culture, nature, activity, family, friends, and of course, God Himself.  It allows for the quiet time to pray for what appear to be the ills of the world – war, fighting, racism, inequalities, climate control, negative politics, and the list goes on.

Fishing requires patience – do I have the patience in my prayers to really stick close to God and be open to seeing and hearing everything He is speaking and doing for me?

Fishing requires courage – the kind of fishing I did didn’t really require courage other than the courage to bait the hook – I never really did do that.  But there is some fishing – like deep sea fishing that requires more courage.  Praying and following Jesus requires courage.  Being willing to leave all for Christ, Truth requires much courage.  Willingness to speak God’s Truth and show how healing comes from changing our thought requires courage.

Fishing requires perseverance – there were times where we could sit for hours without one little bite by a fish to the worm or lure.  Not only did this require patience, it required the perseverance to stay on the boat or dock fishing until we caught dinner. 😉  Sometimes it requires perseverance in our human experience to see and demonstrate the healing power of God.  When something seems to be going wrong, it can sometimes take that extra hour, day or week or more of prayer to see what God sees and knows about each one of us as His son or daughter – that we are good, healthy and whole.

So you see, the same qualities that fishers need, man needs when following Christ Jesus in the way!  We need quietude, patience, courage, and perseverance.  Have you engaged any of these qualities lately?  Try it and be ready to catch the good God has for you!