Teaching Your Kids How to Fish

"And Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men'" (Mark 1:17)

Did you ever try to teach your kids how to fish, beloved? I had that singular and truly glorious experience many years ago when they were all small. In fact, my son actually fished while sitting in his stroller! I remember buying for him one of those plastic fishing poles that came complete with string, plastic hook, and even a plastic fish. Of course, I replaced the string with real fishing line and carefully tied on a real hook when it was time to go for the real thing. What I remember most about that day at the coast was that they caught so many pin fish so quickly that Dad never got his line in the water! They went home smelly and dirty, but they went home grinning from ear to ear.

Jesus was someone else who taught His "kids" how to fish, beloved. In fact, much like my experience with my three, He taught them something about which they knew absolutely nothing. The force of the construction in the verse above is that He made them into something they were not before. They knew nothing about sharing the gospel with people and that is what He taught them to do. You see, Jesus was a Master "fisher of men." I love watching a heron fishing along the pond that is at the golf course. I don't know if you were aware of this or not, but a heron is a master fisher! He can actually see the fish swimming beneath the surface of the water as he stands so very still upon the bank and stalks his next meal. Jesus is a Master "fisher" of men. No one could teach His followers what He could teach them. And clearly He did a "masterful" job because of how the Holy Spirit was able to use them to turn their world upside down with their preaching.

But has the Master "fisher" of men been able yet to teach you how to fish, beloved? What impact are you having with the gospel upon your world? Are people who know you coming to know Him because they know you? That's how it is supposed to work! We know Him. They know us. They know Him. Isn't that a glorious plan? I recall a story told years ago about an imagined conversation between Jesus and Gabriel once He had returned to the Father's right hand. According to the story, Gabriel really wanted to know what the plan was now that Jesus was separated from His disciples. What were they to do? Jesus explained that He had instructed His disciples to make it their business to tell the people they met about Him, generation after generation it would go. Gabriel asked the Master, "What if they forget or simply don't tell? What is your plan then?" To that question Jesus replied, "I don't have any other plan. I am really counting on them."

He is really counting on us, beloved, you know? If we are truly believers, then He has taught us how to fish! Now we need to do it. He doesn't have another plan if we don't. It is up to you and me to be "fishers of men" just as He made His disciples to become. They were masterful fishers of men and so must we be as well. So much is counting on our faithfulness! The souls of lost people are too precious to God and we are His instruments, His messengers. And, by all means, as you carry out the command to take the gospel to the world, be sure you teach your "kids" how to fish as well!

Ron