Those who know me also know that I love to fish.  For a long time I have been a bass fisherman.  But recently I have been trying to learn to fly fish.  I started right after our convention last year (2011).  And I caught this fish on my first fly fishing trip.

My brother Barry is with me in the picture (in the hat).  The brown trout was 26 inches long and the guide estimated the weight at 8 pounds.

Nothing to it.  First trip, just throw the bait (fly) over there and then hang on when the fish takes it, right? Well actually, fly fishing is pretty complicated.  You’ve got to learn how to cast, how to mend the line, how to read the water, how to tell what the fish are eating, even how to wade the rivers.  And guys who do it a lot learn how to tie their own flies.  I have decided that it is the complicated nature of the sport that makes it fun.  Each detail of the sport has its own rhythm, its own set of patterns that give it significance.

I would not trivialize our ministry, but in much the same way, serving Jesus can be complicated.  The details of relationships and interpreting the Word, the nuances of preaching, the ability to “understand the times” while reading the hearts of God’s people –all of these things make ministry rich and rewarding. They do not, however, make ministry easy.

Each detail of ministry is important.  We rarely have the luxury of saying “I don’t like administration, so I will just preach.”  Or “someone else can prepare sermons; I just want to spend time with people.”  To be effective we must deal with all the facets of our craft.

You may never be a good administrator, but you can be good enough to keep your weakness from limiting your ministry.  You may never enjoy visiting hospitals but you can do it well enough to continue to receive the privilege of preaching.

So, take all of your responsibilities seriously--ask God to help you where you are weak and to discipline your strengths.  And remember that the smallest detail when done for Him becomes eternally important.

Ask me sometime about stepping into a hole on the Norfolk River.  This blog is posted every Monday afternoon.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it