I am definitely not that person – the one who walks in McDonalds, talks to the clerk taking their order, and within five minutes leads the individual to Christ. Blessed are the people who own that gift. For years I thought there was something wrong with me; if I just had better skills, I could be that person. How can I be a fisher of men?
TOOLS OF GREAT FISHERMEN
Maybe I have a misconception regarding fishing. While visiting an antique shop, I saw tools of great fishermen, fishing lures. An entire case filled with them. Did you know there are categories of lures? The main groups are soft plastics, hard baits and jigs. Within these categories, specific lure types vary widely, such as swimbaits, spinnerbaits, spoons, and flies, each designed to mimic different prey or imitate various underwater movements to attract fish. The basic reason for all these lures is to attract and draw in the fish. The variety of the lures is astounding.
DALE’S STORY
All fishermen fish, but the lures they use vary. What type of lures can you use? Years ago, my husband worked in a machine shop while going to college. Let’s say the response to the Gospel was not overwhelmingly positive among his co-workers. Their manager had a habit of losing his temper and throwing machine parts at the employees he was angry at. What brought the negative response was that the same manager would carry gospel tracts in his pocket and leave them in the men’s bathroom for his employees to read. My husband never carried a tract with him but built a friendship with his co-workers. Bill particularly engaged in conversations with a man named Dale. During their interactions Bill would give glimpses of His relationship to Christ, but it never got into a deep interchange. It was just a natural part of Bill’s conversations. One day Dale walked up to Bill and said, “I believe, I believe what you told me.”
Of course, Bill asked, “You believe what?” That opened heaven’s doors. Dale wanted to know all about heaven and how to get to heaven. After further conversation, Dale received Christ. In God’s mercy, this was a blessing of timing. Within a year Dale died of a sudden heart attack. Bill’s fishing lure was casually and naturally interjecting Christ into conversations. He was winsome, loving, and honest, genuinely caring about getting to know Dale. God took it from there.
THE SCREAMING MAN WITH THE SIGN
When I worked downtown Lancaster, Fridays on the town square would be a man holding up a large sign featuring a Bible verse. He would yell at the people and cars passing that they were going to hell and needed to be saved. If I was an unbeliever, his lure would drive me away. The lure that might attract me would be a friendly conversation about Christ. A natural and kind interaction.
ALL FISHERMEN, BUT DIFFERENT LURES
All believers are called to be fishers of men, to attract people to Christ. Not all believers are gifted to work using the same lures. God knows this. He just wants us to make ourselves available and obedient in whatever situation we find ourselves, and to let God handle the results. You may not be that person at McDonalds, but you are a fisherman fully called to reach others for Christ. Let Him show you the tools, the lures, which will best equip you in His ministry. The world is filled with Dales, just waiting for you.
Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:16-20) That is Jesus’ promise.
