Keeping it Reel

Last Saturday, my brother invited me to go fishing. We got up early, packed up gear and snacks, and went out for a full day at the lake. The weather was great, our surroundings were pristine, and the atmosphere was absolutely peaceful.

In the still and the quiet, I began to see why Jesus called His disciples “fishers of men.” There were several parallels between this fishing trip and how we’re called to witness to other people. I’ll go over each one, and, with any luck, one of these will help you out on your next missions trip

Patience, Persistence, and Positive Attitude

Mindset is very important when it comes to fishing. Unlike video games, where something will bite on almost every cast, fishing in real life does not bring that guarantee. You could be fishing for hours and get nothing more than a nibble. That was most certainly true for my brother and I. We sat in the same location for a good while with no bites.

I can’t speak for what went through my brother’s head at the time, but I can share how things went for me. Instead of complaining or throwing a fit, I remained patient, rebaiting and recasting my line every so often. I would’ve been fine with catching anything that day, big or small. Each time I launched the lure, I did it with the mindset that, hopefully, this would be the one to land.

Sharing the Gospel works much the same way. We can cast our line as many times as we can, but we won’t always be met with revelations and conversions. Often times, we’re met with rejection or apathetic glances. However, we cannot lose heart. Just like how we can’t read a fish’s mind, we don’t always know where people’s hearts are at. Keep casting, because your “one last try” could be the very time someone needed to hear the Good News and get hooked.

Know Your Target Fish

The lake my brother and I were fishing at had bass and trout lurking under the surface. Sadly, I did not do as much research as I should have, so I didn’t know exactly what type of bait they would fall for best. We got some power bait from the lakeside tackle shop, but my brother also brought a variety of lures. Some were designed to spin near the surface. Others imitated crayfish and frogs at mid level. We tried different baits and lures, and one of them didn’t yield results, we switched to another one.

The mission field works the same way. It’s important to know who your target audience is. Would you go to an atheist friend and tell them how Jesus is better than Buddha? No. Wrong hook for the wrong fish. You’d have a better chance coming from a science or morality angle.

The apostle Paul was very good at catering to his audience. In Acts 17, we’re given a scene from his missionary stopover in Athens. A group of locals heard him talking about Jesus and the resurrection, so they brought him to a public meeting area and asked him to explain these new ideas he brought. There’s a specific side note that mentions that the people of Athens loved to do nothing more than sit around at talk about politics, philosophy, religion, and any other “big brain” topics.

Taking note of all the different temples in the city, Paul catered his sermon around something they were familiar with. Out of all the temples dedicated to different gods, there was one temple in particular dedicated to “an unknown god.” Paul saw that and said, “Hey, guys. You have a temple for an unknown god. Let me tell you who that God is.” That was his lead-in to sharing the gospel.

In the same way, you’ll want to adjust your strategy to the people you’re trying to talk to. I myself help out in a cosplay outreach ministry, so I have to cater my talks to anime, comics, and video games (and before anyone jokes around about cosplaying as Bible characters, just remember: Moses was in Beyblade and Jesus is canonically still alive in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure). If you switch things up to fit the moment or group of people, you’ll have a higher chance of reaching someone.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to change up your strategy if it isn’t working. Just like how my brother and I changed our baits and lures when fish weren’t biting, switch up your approach if people aren’t being receptive.

Move On if You Need to

Prior to the fishing trip, I had asked around for any tips from people who fished regularly. One of the more prominent suggestions I received was “If you don’t catch anything in twenty to thirty minutes, change locations.” This sounded reasonable. If the fish weren’t biting, maybe they weren’t there. Granted, when we first got to the lake, we could literally see the fish jumping out of the water, snagging bugs off the surface. We decided to stay in our first spot longer than half an hour.

However, once that first hour turned into three, we didn’t see as many splashes in our area. I suggested we move spots, but my brother declined. We had a cart with all our gear, and he didn’t want to pack it all up and drag it up hill again. It wasn’t until a couple hours after lunch that he finally relented and asked if I wanted to move spots. I jokingly quoted Jesus with “Go cast your nets on the other side,” and we moved for the opposite shore.

In the same way, if you’re trying to minister to people and you’re just not getting any reception, change your location. During His ministry, Jesus sent out His disciples to preach, heal, and exorcise. In Matthew 10:14, He said, “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” In those days, “shaking the dust from your feet” was a similar expression to “washing your hands of the situation.” In essence, it meant you were done with this place or person and moving on. If the people you are witnessing to are constantly rejecting you, you are more than welcome, if not encouraged, to dust yourself off and go elsewhere. There are others who need to hear the Word, so there’s no need to waste your time preaching to ears not yet ready to listen.

Now, I wish I could end my story by saying we caught a bunch of fish when we changed locations, but that wasn’t the case. It turned out that the trail on the opposite side was closed, so we couldn’t go to the shadier spots. With the heat reaching 90 degrees, we decided to call it. We went home without catching a thing.

And you know what? That’s okay. Like I said earlier, fishing is all about patience, persistence, and a positive outlook. We still had a good day overall, and we have new strategies to try the next time we go.

Fishers of Men

During my lakeside musings, I thought about how some people might feel less like “fishers of men” and more like “tackle shop supply chain.” You know, providing the tools the fishermen need rather than being out on the lake itself. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, right? After all, Jesus only told a couple of disciple that they’d become “fishers of men.”

However, this isn’t truly the case. We all are called to be fishers of men, to witness and preach to the world around us. Before He ascended to Heaven, Jesus told all of his followers, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” Kind of hard to make disciples of all nations if you’re not called to minister.

That being said, not everyone is called to abandon home and head out into the mission field. We do have our own strengths. Everyone has spiritual gifts, and not all of them are present in every single person. Some have the gift of preaching. Others have the gift of teaching. Some have the gift of speaking in tongues. Others have the gift of interpreting those tongues.

You can be a fisher of men by simply living by Christ’s example. Your lifestyle becomes the bait for the people around you. I believe St. Francis of Assisi said it best: “Preach the Gospel at all times, and, if necessary, use words.”