Standing on the dock and pulling in a fish brought a huge smile to my face. The weather was perfect in Ormond Beach that day.   It had been a long time since I had gone fishing, and as soon as I reeled in that fish, the old feeling of how much I enjoyed fishing returned.

Growing up, I might have fished once as a child.  My dad fished and hunted but never took any of his kids with him.  My husband’s family owned a farm, and a few years after Gaylon and I were married, my father-in-law had a pond dug on his land.  After the pond was filled with water, Papa Benton had it stocked with catfish.  When Gaylon and I would visit, we would fish at the pond and man was it fun!  We reeled in so many fish!  We would catch them, clean them, and Grandma Benton would cook them the same day.  Talk about fresh fish on the dinner plate!  We loved those times.

Over the years, we went less and less to fish in the pond.  Other things grabbed our attention when we visited.  Fishing lost its priority in our lives.   

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.” –  Matthew 4:18-20

When Jesus met Peter and Andrew, Jesus immediately voiced His priority.  If you follow me, I am going to teach you to fish for men.   Peter and Andrew left their nets and made fishing for people a priority. 

In the Gospels and in the book of Acts, the resurrected Christ gave His disciples instructions and once again we see the priority of His heart.  Jesus told them to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  In Acts, He said that the power of the Holy Spirit resident within them, would give them the ability to be witnesses everywhere they went.  The priority of Heaven has always been that we would be fishers of men. 

Just like fishing in lakes and rivers lost priority in my life, I have found that the priority of fishing for the souls of men is a priority that is so easily lost.  We get busy with life.  We even get busy with church life. We praise. We pray.  We serve.  While those things are important, they are not Heaven’s first priority.  God has truly convicted me about being a good Christian, but not doing much fishing. 

While in Panama City Beach earlier this year, I went fishing early in the morning and also at night.  We got off the comfortable sofa in our air-conditioned condo.  We took the proper equipment and put in the effort to go where the fish were.  On neither of those fishing expeditions did we catch a single fish, yet there was still joy in fishing.   We will never be fishers of men unless we go where the fish are. You won’t catch fish unless you leave your pew or house.  In order to be fishers of men, we must be intentional and search for lost friends, family, neighbors, and those with whom we have various kinds of encounters. 

Our job isn’t to catch fish but to go fishing. Catching people is the work of God. We are simply a tool in His hands.  You can go fishing without catching fish, but you cannot catch fish without going fishing. When you stand before God, He probably will not ask how many fish you caught. I do wonder if He will ask how many times we went fishing. 

One thing is for sure, you can’t catch fish if you don’t go fishing.