Tuesday, September 05, 2017
What I learned about making disciples from a fishing guide...
My family loves to fish so it was an exciting adventure when
we chartered a boat with a guide to fish for speckled trout. There were 5 of us, plus the guide: my son, Joe Don, and me along with my three grandsons
(ages 11, 9, and 7). The guide explained
about how to fish for trout and told us what to expect. He was very careful with the equipment and
started by making the cast for every rod.
He would then fish each one and explain what he was doing and why. He would show us how to hook the fish. When he hooked one, he would hand the rod to
one of the boys and they would reel it in.
After a while, the guide let Joe Don start working the bait
after the guide had made the cast. Then
eventually my son made the casts and worked the bait. Then our guide worked with me and then the
oldest grandson, Jake. By the end of our
charter, the guide was working with our seven-year-old, Austin, while Jake and
I were fishing by ourselves, and my son was teaching his oldest son, Andrew, how to cast
and fish.
Our guide explained the process, demonstrated the process,
helped us to learn the process, and even let my son begin doing the same with
his son.
It got me to thinking about helping someone learn to follow
Jesus.
When you find someone interested in Jesus, you tell the Jesus story. You talk about the most important things to know and the most important things to do. But they are also watching you live as a Jesus follower. They see how you make choices about life and about serving others.
You answer their questions. You walk with them as they start their faith journey. You speak truth into their life and pray with -- and for -- them. You will teach, demonstrate, and work
together as they learn to live as a follower.
You will watch them mature into faithful disciples. Faithful disciples who will teach others to follow Jesus.
We heard how to fish, we watched how to fish, and someone was with us as we began to try it on our own. And it worked. We all caught a bunch of fish.
But I have to say my favorite part of the trip was watching my grandsons learn to fish. And watching Joe Don teaching Andrew.
Even better is watching them learn to be followers of Jesus.
And they will be even better at catching men than they are at catching fish.
And that makes me happy.
