May 29

Fishers Follow Him

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” — Mark 1:17 BSB

Only by following Jesus can we achieve our heart’s desire and be truly effective in helping others. Oh, how we long to be successful in winning souls for Jesus! We would give our lives to see people saved. But we are sometimes tempted to use methods that Jesus Himself wouldn’t use. Should we give in to that temptation? If we do, we may make a splash but won’t catch any fish. We must follow Jesus if we want to succeed. Sensational methods, entertainment, and similar tactics—are these really following Jesus? Can we imagine Jesus drawing a crowd with such methods? What’s the result of these modern techniques? Nothing that Jesus will count as valuable on the last day.

We must stick to preaching, as our Master did, because it’s through preaching that souls are saved. We must teach what Jesus taught and preach the full and free gospel because that is the net that catches souls. We must preach with gentleness, boldness, and love, for this is how hearts are won. We must rely on the Holy Spirit's power and not our own strength. By following Jesus closely—neither running ahead of Him nor straying off—we will become true fishers of men.