Fishing for PeopleSample

Gone Fishin’

My son loves to watch a certain fishing show on which the host travels the world to look for the most incredible fish he can find. I can’t help but notice the different types of rods he uses. He’s got rods for small fish, mid-sized fish, and yes, even huge monsters.

I’m not much of a fisherman myself, but it’s amazing to see how this professional knows exactly which rod and tackle to use for his expedition.

Can you imagine being Peter and Andrew, two disciples of Jesus? You grow up as brothers and learn the family trade of fishing. You’ve accepted that this is your life, so you get good at it.

Then, one day, a strange new rabbi shows up, tells you to go out into deeper water, and says that from now on you will “fish for people” (Luke 5:1-11 NIV).

I can imagine their thoughts.

“’Fish for people?’ What does that mean?”

“All I know is fishing for fish.”

“I don’t even like people. That’s why I work on a boat.”

Whatever they were thinking, I’m sure their minds were racing.

But the good thing was that they didn’t have to have it all figured out right away. Over the next three years, they followed Jesus and learned from Him what “fishing for people” truly looked like—sharing the Gospel so that others could know the Lord and be reunited with Him.

And it gets even better, because when Jesus gave them their final instructions before He returned to Heaven, He made a promise that He would “be with [them] always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NIV).

That means that Jesus would be with them as they went out and fished for people.

When I think of what a true fisherman knows about his rods and tackle and his depth of knowledge and wisdom, it’s incredible to see how equipped he is to handle any situation. That’s a guy I would want to go fishing with.

As Christians, Jesus calls us to “fish for people,” but many men struggle with what that means and doubt our ability to do it or even know how to do it.

This week, we will examine what it means to share Jesus with others. So, grab your rods, and let’s head out into deeper waters to see what our Teacher has for us.

Prayer: Jesus, You have called me to be a fisher of people. Help me open my heart more to You so I can open it more to others. Amen.

Reflection: Ask yourself what feelings you have towards sharing Jesus with those around you. Then ask Jesus to speak to you about them and see what He wants to show you.