Most people who know me know I like to fish. It doesn’t matter if it is fishing in a farmer’s tank or on the lake, in a stream in Colorado or in the ocean. I enjoy fishing. I like catching, too, but that doesn’t always happen when you are fishing. I can honestly say I have as much fun catching a blue gill or a brook trout as I do hooking a big striper or a redfish. While you don’t always catch something when you are fishing, you know you won’t catch anything if you don’t go fishing.

This month I’ve been down in Port Isabel, Texas, right next to South Padre Island. I have spent some time fishing in the surf, something I’ve done many times before. The fishing has been good, but the catching not as good. I did catch the largest Whiting I’ve ever caught, but it was the only fish I caught that day. Yet I keep fishing.

When I am fishing, I spend a lot of time talking to God. And it is more than just asking Him to allow me to catch some fish. I speak my gratitude to Him for the innumerable blessings I have been given. I thank Him for having led me to faith. I pray for those who are dealing with illness or hardships. I ask Him to help me be the person He wants me to be.

One of the things Jesus wants me to be is a fisher of men. I get a reminder of that down here because the name of the congregation I am serving this month is “Fishers of Men Lutheran Church.”

Matthew 4:18–22 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 make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

A third of the hand-picked disciples of Jesus were fishermen. Jesus called them to be fishers of men. He wants all who follow Him to be fishers of men, too. Followers of Jesus are those who have heard who He is: the Son of God. They know what Jesus has done: He came to earth, took on human flesh, and lived a perfect life without ever sinning. He offered that perfect life to pay for the sins of everyone else, allowing Himself to be the once and for all sacrifice to satisfy the judgment against us. And He defeated death by rising from the grave so that His followers could have eternal life with Him.

Jesus wants those who have been brought to faith to help others become His followers, too. That happens when you talk about your faith with others. I’ve been doing that down here while I am fishing. As I encounter others on the beach, I insert my faith into the conversations. I look for opportunities to let my light shine for Him while I am talking to others. Not all fishing results in catching, but you can be pretty sure there will be no catching if you aren’t fishing.

We all need to keep fishing so God can use us as fishers of men.