Go Fish

Every June the guys in my family go on what we call "The In-Law/Outlaw Fishing Trip."  Attendance varies every year, but usually it consists of myself, my brother, my father, my brother-in-law, my father-in-law and my brother's father-in-law.  We spend a couple of days in Southern Missouri fishing for trout and enjoying each other's company.  Half of the guys are are excellent fishermen.  Half of us are not.  I'm including myself in the "Not" half.  Usually I only catch a fish or two.  At least on the last trip we stayed in a cabin with a stocked pond. I spent most of my time catching bluegill and a couple of bass in the pond rather than in the stream with the trout.  It was easy fishing, my favorite kind.
So this weekend we leave on a big family trip to Gatlinburg where I will for the first time try some difficult fishing, fly fishing.  I was thrilled that for my birthday this year I got everything I need to start fly fishing.  Totally different kind of fishing.  The skill it takes to whip your line back and forth and drop a near-weightless piece of fuzz exactly where you think the fish is waiting for it is impressive.  The fishing that I've done has always been throwing the hook out into the water and hope a fish takes the bait.  I'm not saying there isn't some skill involved, but it's not nearly as impressive as fly fishing.

      "And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and be My disciples, and I will make you to become fishers of men."

Mark 1:17

Have you ever thought about how many different ways there are to catch fish?  Dropping a worm on a hook in a pond.  Fly fishing.  Deep sea fishing.  Noodling (You have to see it to believe it).  And while the goal of catching fish is the same, it's not always easy to carry your skill in one type of fishing over to another.  Just because you can drop a worm and hook into a pond doesn't mean you'll be able fly fish.  The same applies to fishing for men.  When you think about Jesus describing us as fishers of men what activity are you thinking about.  Does the picture come to you mind of standing on the street corner shouting the gospel?  Or walking up to a stranger and asking them if they know Jesus?  Or maybe leaving a tract along with your tip at a restaurant?  Just like there are different ways to fish there are different ways of sharing your faith with others.  And each is a skill that needs to be learned and developed.

"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations,"

Matthew 28:19

God wants you to go fishing!  You're never going to catch a fish if you don't go fishing.  You may never get any kind of positive response from the people witness to.  You may get ridiculed.  You may get ignored.  But you can take satisfaction in the most important of things: You obeyed God.  And just because you never see any response does not mean you didn't change their life.  My pastor is a living example.  He was witnessed to by stranger.  He was hitchhiking and the person who picked him shared the Gospel with him.  To this day that person may not realize that the sullen teenager they picked up is changing the world.  All you have to do is obey God.  Even if the person whose life you impact doesn't change the world, you have changed their world.  
I can honestly say that I'm not experienced enough at any type of witnessing to give advice.  But I have witnessed in different ways to different people.  I've preached to youth groups.  I've handed out tracts on the streets of New York.  I've walked up to strangers in the park and started conversations.  I've tried to live the Christian life in front of friends and co-workers.  Each is different and difficult in its own way.  Especially the first time.  But the only way to get past your fear and hesitancy is just to do it.  And every time after that you'll still be a little hesitant but it will get easier and easier.  

Again, God wants you to go fishing.  You may have to start out by baiting a hook and dropping it in the water.  Eventually you'll be able to drop that nugget of God's Love in front of someone no matter how hard they try to ignore you.  They won't have any choice but to bite.