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Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: Fishing (06/07/04)
TITLE: I will make you a fisher of men
By Adam Colvin
06/09/04
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Jesus said, "Come, follow after me, and I will make you fishers of men." Those words, spoken so long ago to Peter and his brother Andrew, burned through my heart as I read them for the very first time soon after I became a Christian. A desire began to well up in my heart, and I too, wanted to be a fisher of men. There was only one problem; I had no idea how to fish; for fish or for men.

You see, my dad never really took me fishing. Oh, he did once, when I was about 8 or 9, and all I did was fuss and complain about how hot it was and how bored I was. It didn't help any that I didn't catch any fish, just one crawdaddy. After that, whenever my dad went fishing, either by himself or with my brother, he would never ask if I wanted to go with. Looking back, I'm sure I disappointed him that day.

Now here was the Lord Himself telling me that He would make me a fisherman; not of fish mind you, but of men. If all I could catch way back when was a crawdaddy instead of a fish, I thought to myself, how would I ever be able to catch men for His kingdom? After all, I didn't want to disappoint Him too. And if I thought regular fishing was boring, what would my attitude be towards fishing for men? That's when the Lord began speaking to my heart. "If the angels in heaven rejoice over the salvation of one lost soul," He seemed to be saying, "then surely you will rejoice as well." Well, about the only things I truly knew about fishing were that you needed bait, and you had to cast out your line.

The bait, I reasoned, was salvation, and the casting of my line was telling others the good new of the gospel. As I began to share my faith, and catch a few "fish," I did indeed rejoice with the angels. To be sure, there were, and continue to be, times I've cast my line and reeled in nothing except insults and scorn, but I've learned that that's all part of the fishing experience. Sometimes you get the fish and sometimes you get the crawdaddy.

Today, I have a son who will soon be 5 years old, and although I still consider fishing somewhat boring, I look forward to the day I take him to the lake and sit with him on the pier. We will have our fishing poles in our hands, and as we sit there, casting our lines for fish, I will share with him the joy of casting the line for men as well, with the hope and prayer that if all he ever catches in the lake are crawdaddies, that that will not discourage him from casting his line for men; for as the Lord has made me a fisher of men, I pray that He will do the same for my son.