It requires spending time with people

“And He said to them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men…” Matt 4:19 (NIV)

When I was a kid living in Coldwater (Michigan), I soon learned that fishing wasn’t all that glamorous. Despite having a fairly good rod and reel with worm bait, it took time and patience to land a fish. Even a small one! Then, I discovered that neither my Mom or Dad would clean and skin the dead creatures I proudly brought home from the nearby lake. So, if I wanted to eat my catch, I had to do it all myself.

Jesus said that He would teach His followers how to fish — for souls. It isn’t an easy task most times. It requires patience and dedication. It requires spending time with people. It requires my faithfulness and determination.

But the good news is this:  if I bring in the catch, He’ll clean them! Certainly, it isn’t my job to scrape away the sin and cleanse the individual! Fortunately, Christ can do this better than anyone.

So, I will use my trusty fishing rod (the Word) and use my resources (time and dedication) so I can be a fisherman.

And you?

Steve

PS  Steve apologizes for the gap in the Thought for the Day. He has had several e-mails asking about this — he was visiting family in Seattle and wasn’t online regularly.