And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
I’ve had cause to recently meditate on this verse. In the process something I’d never noticed became clear; what about the fish? Sure, we’re to be “fishers of men”, we’re to be spreading the gospel and helping others respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but what about how that impacts those “fish”?
Think about the experience of a fish… yanked from an environment in which it is completely familiar and comfortable. They suddenly find themselves flopping around in a boat, unable to breath, everything in their world turned upside down, and soon they will be dead. Doesn’t sound very appealing to the fish, does it?
Yet, this is what happens to us when we are “caught” by our Savior.
- We can’t breathe, but He will breathe life anew and eternal into us.
- We no longer have our source of food, but we now have the bread of life.
- We no longer have that water in which to swim, but we now have living water that will never leave us thirsty again.
- We will lose everything we have, surrendered to Him, but in so doing we will gain everything.
- We will truly find ourselves “fish out of water” experiencing awkward and uncomfortable moments with some great frequency.
- We will die, to ourselves, so that He might live through us.
I don’t know about you, but when I think about it this way, I can see why it might be scary. I was that fish a very long time ago, nearly fifty years now, but I still remember the sense that the earth was constantly shifting under my feet as I transitioned from my watery environment to the boat prepared for me by Christ. In fact, there are still times when I’m not sure I’ve gained my sea-legs on that boat and find myself reaching for something to steady me.
So, where to turn? I hope God’s Word is the first and obvious answer for us, but what then? Well, here is where it becomes kind of uncomfortable for me, because the next answer is… the other fish in the boat, each other, the body. While we may now be fishers of men (Note: He says He will “make us fishers of men”, we aren’t that on our own efforts or will, and we must start out as fish, right?) we still need to be swimming with other fish and finding strength in that association. We are made to be part of a supportive community of believers, bearing each other’s burdens.
My prayer is one of thanks. God, thanks for ripping me out of that comfortable, yet deadly, environment and pulling me into the boat of life. Thanks for continuing to move in my life to help me have that life more abundantly. Thanks for the body of believers in which you have placed me, and how I have been fed by that “school” of other believers all these years. Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of encouraging each other toward our higher callings in Him. Thanks for each of you.