I wonder if Jack Cooper is still working as an ophthalmologist in Dallas, Texas?
I read about him a number of years ago. His story got my attention because it was said of him that he took very seriously Jesus' call for His followers to be "fishers of men."
As I read about it, if you went into Cooper's office for a standard eye exam, he would ask you to read, without the aid of glasses, as sentence printed on the wall of the examining room. If you needed your glasses to read, then you were encouraged to put them on.
The sentence read: "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."
Cooper said that occasionally people would see the sentence on the wall and exclaim how excited they were that they could see it clearly. Others would read the sentence and then ask, "What does that mean?" At that point Cooper would joyfully explain God's plan for salvation through faith in Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Each time this happened, Cooper would come home and tell his wife, "I had a pretty good day at the fishin' hole."
This is an approach that probably wouldn't fly in every work setting. And yet, besides our homes where do most of us spend most of our time? You got it - at work! Maybe there is a way that you can go fishing at your place of employment. In fact, today might be a great day for fishing.
What question do many folks ask on Monday? "Whatcha do this weekend?" That gives you a perfect opportunity to mention that among the things you did, you went to church and Bible class on Sunday morning. You could tell about the interesting sermon you heard or the insight you received during Bible study hour. Or you could talk about the friendly people of your church (assuming that they are friendly). By showing excitement about that part of your life, you just might find yourself answering more questions about your church and you might even find the right moment to invite that co-worker to join you some Sunday morning.
Even better, you might get the chance to tell your co-worker about Jesus. Think about it: your bait is God's Word, the message of sin and grace. Your hook is the love of God that is found only in Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. Now, more than ever, people need to know that there is hope for living and that there is help for dealing with the tough stuff of life. We believers know where hope and help can be found. So be ready - you just might get the chance to go fishing this week!
