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. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom. (Matthew 4:18-20, 23, NIV 1984).
My Musings – “I often went fishing up in Maine during the summer. Personally, I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So, when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted, I thought about what they wanted. I didn’t bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or a grasshopper in front of the fish and said: ‘Wouldn’t you like to have that?’ Why not use the same common sense when fishing for people?” (Dale Carnegie, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”).
Interesting thought and common-sense approach. People do not like to be criticized or condemned for their behavior (i.e., sins). They are “condemned already.” (John 3:18). But all too often, all we have to offer is condemnation. Why not rather “preach the good news of the Kingdom?” If they have “ears to hear” and “eyes to see,” they’ll realize that is “what they wanted” all along. Not only want they wanted, but what they needed. For “there is a God-shaped hole in the life of every man [and woman]” (Blaise Pascal), yearning to be filled.
My Advice – Resist the urge to criticize and condemn. After all, the very things we condemn others for are “what [all] of [us] were” (1 Corinthians 6:11. NIV 1984), before we were shown what we really wanted and needed. So. “there is no difference [between them and us], for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [but can be] justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22–24, NIV 1984). In other words, think like a fish.
The Brew Is A Musing 