Fishing is an art. Honing your skills as a fisherman can mean the difference between bringing in a bountiful catch and spending the day out on the lake with nothing to show for your efforts than a great suntan.

Being children of our Heavenly Father, it’s inherent that we take on some of His personality traits. One of these traits is outlined in Matthew 4:19 where Jesus says to His disciples “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men“. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). However, in the past I have to admit that I’ve been a little over zealous when it comes to seeing the lost saved and I ended up chasing my fish away. I praise God that He sent another fisherman that was more skilled than I was and the catch was brought in anyway.

As Christians, our pond of fish lies just outside our front door. We fish daily, whether we like to fish or not.

I gave an illustration in the post entitled “All Aboard” of how my mother presented Christ to me in a way that drew me to Him as opposed to driving me from Him. Our life’s mission is to draw people into the Kingdom of God.

So that our time spent fishing is productive, lets stop for a moment and examined the characteristics of a good fisherman. In doing so, we will gain great insight into how to “catch” men and draw them into the kingdom.

The Attributes of a Good Fisherman:

• He’s prepared. When a fishing trip is planned, good fishermen make sure their tackle box is well stocked with all the tools they will need for a successful day out on the lake.
• He rises early in the morning. The good fisherman is well rested and motivated to succeed. No one rises early in the morning to fail. He arrives at his fishing hole at day break well prepared for a good days catch.
• He’s very quiet. The last thing the good fisherman wants to do after all the preparation he’s made is to scare the fish away. So he sets his bait out and he sits in his boat out on the lake and he quietly waits for a bite.
• He anticipates. When the good fisherman gets a nibble on his line, he’s aware of it. He readily sits and waits just a little while longer for his opportunity.
• The nibble becomes a bite. The silence out on the lake is broken when the good fisherman gets a bite. The fish has taken the bait and the good fisherman knows exactly how to reel it in. The good fisherman knows how to use his tools. He knows when to pull on his rod and when to give the fish a little slack in order to successfully reel in the catch.

Profitable Fishing

As Christians, our pond of fish lies just outside our front door. We spend our time fishing daily, whether we like to fish or not. Some of us bring in a bountiful catch daily and others spend their days out on the lake rarely bringing in any fish at all. Take a moment to examine your fishing technique and seek to find ways you can increase the number of fish you’re bringing in.

Check your tackle box. Is it well stocked with the tools you need to bring in the days catch or are your hooks rusty? How about your lifestyle and your conduct while out on the lake. Are you scaring away the fish or drawing them in. What condition is your bait in? Is it fresh? Have you studied the Word enough to present it in a way that when the fish struggle to jump off the hook you will have answers to their questions? Do you know what you believe and why you believe what you believe?

Fishing is an art. When the Holy Spirit draws the fish to you, make sure you have fresh bate in the water and are skilled enough with the Word of God to bring in the catch.

 
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