Are you a fisherman or a hunter?

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” -Matthew 4:19

Christ promises us that we will become fishers of men when we devote our life to Him and walk upon the path that He has prepared. To walk upon that path, we must first begin to understand the message that Christ was bringing and continues to bring.

I see too many of my fellow Christian brethren who treat their witness in Christ as that of being a hunter rather then a fisherman. A hunter tracks his prey. A skilled hunter needs to practice the art of stealth and spring upon that which is being hunted in order to bring down his prey. That which is hunted when it is aware that it is being hunted, will attempt to flee in terror.

This type of witness seeks to destroy rather then to show a new way. This type of witness goes against the way of Christ. No where in scripture am I able to find a point in time in which Christ sought to destroy another’s faith. Rather, He showed a new way and an inviting way that the glory of God could be seen by all.

A fisherman tries to lure his catch. He tries this by putting something in the path that is attractive and that the fish will desire. Like a hunter, a fisherman needs to practice the art of patience. When the time is right, the fish will bite. The same is true of our witness of Christ. We must practice the art of patience. When the time is right, the right question will be asked and this provides the opportunity for an effective witness.

These past several months, I have been blessed with the opportunity to display the love of Christ to a people group that many in this American culture have rejected. They are viewed as different as they continue to hold onto their culture and customs from their land which they were forced from due to the atrocities of civil war. This people group practice a faith very different from my Christian faith. They all have been raised in the culture of Islam. One thing that I have come to recognize is that they too have that same heart to understand God in a deeper and more meaningful way. As I find myself moving deeper into these lives, I have had more opportunities to openly share my faith in Jesus Christ and I thank God every time that I am able to proclaim His name in their presence. I know that the only effective way that I can be a true witness in the name of Jesus Christ to my new friends is to exercise those principles of being a fisherman in their presence. I always need to exercise those acts of a true fisherman shown by my savior Jesus Christ.