Why the Christian Walk is like Salmon Fishing
This last weekend I was fortunate enough to spend some time with some friends from college stationed up in Alaska, and during that time we just so happened to hit the first few days of the sockeye salmon run. While salmon fishing can look different based on where you are at, outside of Seward, Alaska when the salmon run, there are so many fish swimming up and down stream with the changing tides that the most effective way to catch them is with a fishing method called “snagging.” While snagging, you stand on the bank of a stream with just a small amount of extra fishing line, cast your three-pronged hook a few feet in front of you, and immediately yank your hook back. Volume is the name of the game and increases your probability of catching a salmon.
Surprisingly enough, there are many parallels that fishing for salmon with the snagging method have with the Christian walk:
1) Volume is key!
The more you pray, study, and trust in God’s word, the more your mind can be renewed and the more it will work in you to produce righteous fruit (Rom 12:1-2, 1Th 2:13, Php 1:9-11, Col 1:9-10, 2Ti 2:15, 3:16-17). The more you fish, the better you get at fishing. The more we study, the more we grow.
Additionally, when we seek to share the gospel of grace with others so that they might be saved, volume is key! There are a lot of unsaved people in the world (lots of fish in the stream) and God’s will for us is that we would share the gospel with them so they can be saved (1Ti 2:4). We have a mission to share the gospel with everyone in our lives and create opportunities to share it with more people. Just like with snagging for salmon, we don’t know whether or not each cast of the gospel will bring forth a saved person. We need to keep casting in hope that some might be saved (1Co 9:16-23, 2Ti 4:16-17).
2) Don’t use Bait!
What made snagging so unique to me was that it’s fishing without any sort of bait. In our evangelism and edification efforts as Christians, we shouldn’t use bait. If we try to lure people in with false promises of prosperity, vague Christianese, or a carnally fun experience we’ll find ourselves with the situation found in many churches across the world with pews full of unsaved people.
There’s no need for the backdoor Christianity approach many churches and people use as if they’re a used car salesman or trying to get you to join a timeshare. The Apostle Paul makes it extremely clear how we should share the truth in love with others:
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” – 1Co 1:17-18
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” – 1Co 2:1-5
“For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” – 2Co 1:12
“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:” – 2Co 3:12
There’s no need to entice other’s with bait when we have forgiveness of sins, an assurance of salvation, and a hope of glory found in the finished cross work of Christ on our behalf. The clear gospel found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and Romans 3:21-26 is all you need to get people saved, now go snag some souls for the Lord!
