Fishing and not Dredging
Here is a little peek behind the curtain. Pastors have many conversations about challenging topics. We believe in the beautiful good news of Christ, but in practice, the Good News doesn’t always feel good to everyone. We have conversations that weigh us down when we realize that those we have spoken to or listened to haven’t fully realized the beauty of the Gospel and its implications in their lives. This week’s heavy conversation seemed to hover around sin inside and outside the church. There is a conflict among many on whether we preach on this sin outside the church so that those inside will be ambassadors speaking on one sin or another.
This is why 1 John 2:15-17 jumped out at me. I know that in my own life, I look to and hold onto worldly things to fulfill me or make me feel complete or like I’m living the good life. At times, I have built my identity and understanding of the “good life” on who people perceive me to be, technology, productivity, entertainment, being the perfect husband or dad, and many other things I didn’t realize were simply an influence of the world around me and not God’s kingdom.
The author of 1 John keeps reminding readers that they are safe and secure in knowing Christ as their savior and living as Christ has called them. He over and over with little changes in angle to reinforce the big idea that God’s love propels us in this life. God’s love saves us from sin and propels us to live as He created us, putting us in a relationship with our creator, who is perfect love. It is something we can not do on our own. It is both outside of and inside us simultaneously.
A friend’s quote stuck with me this week because of these difficult conversations: “Jesus calls us to be fishermen, not to clean out the pond.” 1 John doesn’t mince words. We don’t have God’s love if our love is focused on the things of this world. It is often hard for us to step back and realize what parts of this world we focus on instead of God and His kingdom. I have found that social media blurs these lines in my life. My digital persona is the curated version of myself. I seek after reactions and comments, doing what I would post in real life and getting those reactions and comments. Instead of being who God has called me to be in the present time and space.
Some may think I have gone a little off-topic, but here is my attempt to bring it together: Instead of seeking the affirmation of being in the “right” group by demanding an answer for others’ sins in this world, maybe God is calling us to be fishermen, seeking His will for our lives and sharing the beauty of the Gospel with others in hopes that they, too, would become fishermen. As they begin to fish, they must learn all the right and wrong ways. They will have to give up parts of their lives for this mission together, but before they are insiders, there will be no chance to share the gospel with them if we only tell them what separates them from God.
Maybe, just maybe, we share truth in grace by sharing the beauty and why God’s design is desirable, and when we do that, we draw them to a desire to leave sin rather than trying to scare someone away from sin.
Some questions to pray about:
What sin in your life have you allowed to separate you from God recently?
What sin in this world are you condemning in others when you should focus on the sin in your life?
How can you be a fisherman focused on sharing the Gospel instead of concentrating on dredging the lake of sin?
In what ways might that be a more effective witness?
Lord, help us draw so near to you that our witness is an example of the beauty of your good news leading others to you in perfect grace and truth like Christ. Amen