Leadership
USING THE RIGHT BAIT FOR THE RIGHT KIND OF FISH
As far back as I can remember, fishing was easy. All we needed was a rod, reel, line, hook, and worms and that caught just about any kind of fish. Later as my father and I went after the big fish, we used a little more elaborate type of bait. My favorite was “the jitterbug”, which stayed on the surface of the water and I could see when the fish were going after it. My father liked to use a lure called “the flatfish” because that went down deeper to where the bigger fish were. That was simple, but years later when we moved to Canada, we discovered that the fish were not interested in any of these. We fished in the lake where there were large perch and northern pike and the only bait that they took were bloodsuckers (or leeches) so just as fishing for fish requires that we know something about what they like to eat, so is this matter of fishing for men. Each person has different backgrounds and personalities and it takes the time to find out what interests them and we do this to taper the gospel to their individual needs.
Several years ago, I took up fly fishing as my favorite port. Now fly fishing is a different matter altogether. When it comes to catching trout, they are not alike. If I were to go into a sporting goods store and try to find some flies, I would become confused with the various types of flies that were before me. There is a possibility that I might spend a lot of money for flies that don't catch any fish. Now some of these flies would catch fish in certain streams but we never know until we have visited the fishing area to know what type of fly would attract these fish. It's an easy matter. All you to do is pick up a rock out of the water and look what's hanging on to the bottom and you'll see the type of bug that these fish like. You also will see certain flies like mosquitoes and such in the area and you would know that these also are the kind of food the fish like. You must visit the river you intend to use.
One day I tied a fly by which I never caught any fish. One evening I was out fishing in the lake and I thought I would try this fly and I caught two large crappies, one right after the other. The amazing thing is, that I never knew that there was any kind of fish like that in the lake. Then I discovered something else that amazed me. I knew then, that in fishing for trout you had to use the smallest possible type of fly to catch the largest type of fish. That is always true with trout because that's the kind of food they have in the river. But one day I threw one of those flies out in the lake and I caught two of the largest bluegill that I thought was possible. So, you never know about fish. They are different and if you want to catch them you need to know what they like to eat.
Now that brings us to the matter of fishing for men. Like fishing for fish, it requires patience. Sometimes we want quick results, but the best results take place in God's timing and in God's way. Our part in this matter of fishing for men is to properly prepare ourselves. We start off by memorizing Scripture and perfecting a plan to share the gospel in an understanding way. Fishing for men requires a great deal of flexibility.
I have had experiences before where men have received the Lord into their life with hardly any help from me. As a new Christian desiring to reach my friends for Christ, I didn't have a lot of weapons in my arsenal to share. God in His mercy brought people into my life who were compatible with my ability. Later I studied in various seminars and programs to improve in how to share the gospel. These plans were different so that made it possible for me to be more flexible in sharing the good news with others. But over the years I discovered some of these programs cause me to be very mechanical in my approach and I began to lose confidence in my ability. Paul told Timothy to be instant in season and out of season.
Now, what does that mean? I think the best way to explain it is to always be prepared for the opportunity that comes our way. Sometimes we could make those opportunities by being more involved in the lives of people who are not Christians. As we befriend them and love them, the doors begin to open and we find out how to share the gospel in the way that interests them.
Fishing for men is not a static experience. If we live, and I am almost 80, we must always be praying and asking God to teach us how to share the word of God more perfectly. One of the benefits of writing is that I am always learning and growing and communicating in different ways. I often write small booklets to give to my friends at work who are asking questions about life and what it’s all about.
Recently I read a book by a man named Bill Fay. He wrote a book called “How to share Christ without fear.” He had a six- point presentation that was extremely interesting and I couldn't wait to share it with others. One such opportunity came as I stopped at a station on the way home to get coffee. The lady that was there was easy to talk to and I began to ask her some questions about her beliefs. I asked her if she believed in heaven or hell and she said that she did, so I proceeded to ask her another question. I said suppose God would say to you why should I let you in? what would you say? Her response completely caught me off guard as she said: “I don't think God would ask that question.” She may have been right, and she may have been confronted before, and she was properly armed in her response. I smiled approvingly as I thought her response was good. It wasn't what I expected but it showed me the need to always try to find different approaches to sharing with others. My response to her opened further opportunities. When I wrote my first book on Revelation, I thought I wrote it quite simply because most people understood what I wrote. But I had one man who was totally confused, so what I did, I had to add a chapter to the book to help him to understand the message. That brings us to this point, that we need to know that people understand what we're talking about.
I had a couple of friends from Africa who wanted me to help them write their first book. The thing I noticed about both was the use of the term born-again throughout the book and I wondered if they understood that people do not always know what that means. The words born-again, and repent, are not terms that people always understand. So sometimes we need to get those words that we so well understand ourselves and take the time to help people understand the gospel. We must present the gospel to them so that they understand the message clearly because if they do not, they cannot exercise faith to believe and become a Christian.
So, to keep in connection what we have already stated, that fishing for men is a lot like fishing for fish. We must be patient, discerning, prepared for when the opportunity comes (and it usually comes when we are not expecting it), but through prayer, faith, preparation and hope we will be properly equipped fishermen in this matter of sharing the good news with others.
Never stop learning and never stop growing because as we are faithful to develop our Christian life, and learn how to pray for others, opportunities will come in an exact manner that we are ready for them. Pray for them, look for them, and be ready always to give an answer to those who ask the reason for the hope that is in us. For this, we are admonished by Paul the Apostle. Always seek to improve your methods. One night as I went to bed, I prayed and asked God to help me to share the gospel in a different way with others. At 3 o'clock that next morning I woke up with a message in my mind and I got up and wrote it down so I wouldn't forget it. That message that God gave to me has been one of the most effective presentations that I have ever written and it was geared for me to share with my employers. God loves to answer those kinds of prayers; Lord helps us to be a fisher of men.
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