At the end of my street is a very big pond. It’s where ducks show up in the early Spring each year. The occasional rowboat or kayak appears when summer approaches. And on any given day of the year it’s where guys love to meet up to hang out and dangle a line in the water for hours at a time.

It can be hot, cold, humid, breezy or a chill in the air. The sun may be shining or it could be raining and they still show up. Consistent. Patient. Persistent. I don’t know how much fish they catch. I’ll bet some days more than others. But they keep coming back. Perhaps it’s as much about the company they keep as it is the fish that they take home.

When Jesus approached two fisherman named Peter and Andrew on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, His invitation to them was, “follow Me and I will make you fishers of men”. I’m guessing it was an odd statement to them…to fish for men. And it may be even more odd to those of us who don’t fish! But the principle of fishing…the act of fishing….to really successfully pull in a good catch?…is to be… consistent, patient and persistent. Sound familiar?

Jesus’ call wasn’t just to Peter and Andrew to be fishers of men. Matthew 4:19-20 (MSG) Jesus said, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.”

He wants us to keep showing up, hanging out and living our lives as God-followers. Consistently. Patiently. Persistently. Jesus will do the rest.