Today a missionary to China used fishing as an illustration for the Christian life. We may claim to love fishing, but unless we actually fish, the love is meaningless.

We can say we love other believers, but unless we act on that love, it is meaningless. We can say we love the unsaved, but unless we act on that love, it is meaningless.

It is wonderful how often fishing is used within Scripture. Before they were instructed by Jesus, some of the apostles were fisherman by trade. Jesus paid His tax with a fish once (sort of). A fish is considered a good gift for a father to give. A child’s offering of fish and bread fed a multitude. And when Peter thought all was lost because Jesus had died, he went back to commercial fishing, and took many of the apostles with him.

It was this last instance of fishing that I find compelling in my own life. I have been fishing (working at my secular profession) all my life, since I was ten years old. Yet, Peter was chastised by Jesus for resorting to his secular profession when so little time was left to serve God.

For most people, working at commercial fishing to make a living would be noble, but for Peter, he had been given a spiritual gift and mandate to teach, so teach he must. For him a day was coming, he would be motivated to teach, his desire would be to teach, but he would be led by the hand by others and be forced to do those things which he did not want to do.

I love fishing. I love teaching. Time is short. What message should I get from all this?