Keeping A Tight Line
Fishermen
sometimes tell one another “Keep a tight line!” They are encouraging their
fellow fishermen to always have a fish on the line.
The older I
get, I must confess that a tight line does not mean as much to me as it once
did. I get as much enjoyment from fishing as I do from catching.
When I am
fishing, I have more time to walk along the stream and enjoy the solitude and
silence. I also look for places where fish might be lurking in the water. The
harder I try to catch a fish, the less fish I catch and the less enjoyment I
have that day fishing.
Jesus calls
us to be fishers of men, not catchers! (Matthew 4:19) My job is to go where the
fish are, walk among them, study their habitat and learn their ways. And then
to toss out a line and see if one rises to the surface. There is more enjoyment
in that easy effort, and I have better results.
This
translates over to how we are to fish for people in our daily lives and
ministries. I look for opportunities to speak a word about Jesus, casting here
and there, and leaving the “catching” or results with God. It’s more calming
for me and for the fish-the folks who might get spooked by my clumsiness.
A better
word to fellow fishermen is “Keep your line in the water.” Or as a friend by
the name of Peter once said, “Always be ready.” (1 Peter 3:15)
