What if Jesus had asked Peter, Andrew, James and John, “How do you see yourself five years from now?” Do you think they might have replied, “Still fishing for a living, in the same old fishing boats on the same old lake!” Not likely! The early disciples knew exactly where their priorities lay and they understood the urgency of Jesus’ ministry. There was a whole world that needed to hear what Jesus had to say and not much time to complete the job.
What if Jesus levelled the same question at us? “Where do you see yourself in five years time?” Do you see yourself doing the same thing you are right now? Do you see yourself doing the same things day in and day out for the rest of your one and only life? Jesus has a better idea. Jesus asks each of us to be fishers of men. Do we jump to it with the same immediacy as the early disciples or do we hunt for an excuse? Many of us feel uncomfortable about evangelising. We associate evangelisation with the eccentric or the holier than thou. We associate evangelisation with the man laden with bill boards in the city precinct or the woman handing out leaflets through the crack in the front door. We have a ‘live and let live’ ethos today that doesn’t sit comfortably with trying to persuade others to adopt our own beliefs. Funnily, this wasn’t really Jesus’ style either.
Being a fisher of men doesn’t have to be about notching up conversions. Being a ‘fisher of men’ is more about making a real difference in the lives of others. Being a disciple of Jesus means attracting others to our lifestyle by our shining example. Being a disciple is most certainly not about being overly holy or wearing sackcloth. Discipleship could be about writing a song or a book, it might be about bringing our children up with a conscience or giving an elderly relative somewhere to live. Discipleship might be about starting a meaningful conversation in the local pub, or just being a good friend to someone lonely. Whatever mode of discipleship we choose, we only have one life left to do it in.