Most men I know and admire love to fish. I love to fish more than most. Ever since I was a lad in grade school I have been “down at the creek” catching perch, crawdads or mud cats. My skills have developed over time and my choice of prey has elevated somewhat, but fishing is still fishing. Traveling the world these many years in ministry, I have fished in Africa, South America, Europe and Mexico. My favorite fishing is with a fly rod in the streams of Colorado. I never tire of it.
I also love to fish for men. One day, Jesus stood on the bank of the lake and called out to Peter and Andrew,
“Come follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men.”
I too, heard that call, and have been Man-fishing many years now. By God’s grace I have caught some pretty nice fish. I’d call them “big’ns”. This Man-fishing has great rewards, and I’m still at it every chance I get.
A few years ago I was on the Amazon River fishing for Peacock bass. I have a nice Peacock hanging on my wall to remind me of that great outing. The first day out on the Amazon was a memorable experience. My two guides were brothers. Both were native Amazonians and spoke only Portuguese. I knew no Portuguese, so conversation was limited. We stopped fishing for a noon day lunch in a backwater cove to get out of the sun. I immediately knew I wanted to fish for men, but could not do it in their language. That evening in my room I saw a Portuguese Gideon Bible. That Bible was the bait I needed to fish for those guides. I began to mark that Bible like a road map to the Cross. I did a “turn to page” markup of the Bible. Next day at noon under a Mango tree, those brothers read God’s word, got hooked, and I landed both for Christ! That “man fish trophy” means more to me than the Peacock bass hanging on my wall.
When was the last time you went fishing for men? Recently, seldom, or never? So many modern day Christ followers seem to have given up on Man-fishing. It is becoming a lost art. God is waiting on you to get geared up, go out, and put your hook in the water. Even today, someone will cross your boat ready to be caught by the sharp hook of the Gospel. Put yours in the water. I still do it often.
