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. (Matthew 4:18-20)
HUMILITY HAS GREAT REWARD | ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED FOR SPIRITUAL GUIDES IN YOUR LIFE & GET READY TO LEARN
I was headed to Crested Butte, CO for an epic fly fishing trip. I was reluctant to go with a guide because I thought I should just figure it out myself. How vain and foolish that thinking was. As I look back on my decision to ignore my pride and partner up with a professional guide, I realize now that humility has some great rewards. Following a guide was enlightening in ways I never imagined, it was affirming, and it was essential. Just another reminder of why we need spiritual guides in our life as well.
Without my guide, I would have failed to understand the beauty of the sport, gotten frustrated, and probably would not have done it again. Nor would I have caught any fish!! How similar is that to our need for spiritual guides? We all need wise and experienced counsel to guide us on our walk with God. We simply cannot do it alone. No matter where we are on our walk we can learn from a person further along the path than we are.
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BEING A “FISHER OF MEN” REQUIRES FLOATING AT GOD’S PACE
One of the things my guide taught me is that the secret of fly fishing is to get your fly floating down the current at the same speed as real flies and everything else caught in current. Same thing is true in our relationship with God. We must go with and stay in God’s current. If we try to set our own pace we will get pulled outside God’s current…. and we will not catch any fish!
My guide also taught me to make roll casts and then “mend” the line in order to allow the fly to spend more time at the proper speed in the current. I love that term “mend”. I constantly need to mend my line to stay in God’s current. un We all need spiritual guides who have run the river longer than we have.
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REFLECT & TAKE ACTION
- Are you humble enough to recognize your need for a guide? Do you have a spiritual mentor? Write down the names of a few people you really respect and prayerfully consider asking them to be a spiritual guide for you this year. Meet weekly or bi-weekly with your “guide” and give them permission to teach you and help you increase your potential as a follower of Christ.
- What do you think it would look like in your life to “float at God’s pace”, so that you become a “fisher of men” this year in your neighborhood, work place, school, etc.? What are some specific action steps you can commit to that will keep your “line mended” so that you float with the current of what God is doing around you?
