3 minute read 
by Bethany Rees

I absolutely love to fish. Fishing for me is a time to sit still and allow my mind to relax, my breath to go deep, and my heart to relish in God’s beautiful creation. 

It’s also exciting as heck when you happen upon a “honey hole” with a school of fish that bite at every piece of bait or lure you throw at them. 

However, the more I think about how excited I get when I happen upon schools of fish, the more I wonder if the devil isn’t the same when it comes to us. 

Now I know we aren’t fish, but don’t we ride together on our bandwagons of cultural and societal norms?

Are we not tempted to become hooked on the lures of the flesh in front of us? 

Can’t you just picture the devil sitting in a boat trying all kinds of bait and lures to snare us on his line.

Yikes! Not a picture we like to think about is it? 

However, the more I spend time with God, the more I’m noticing the bait and lures Satan is using to try to catch my attention, my time, and my desires. 

In my work as a leadership coach, I’ve heard it said many times that “you become like the 5 people you spend most of your time with.” 

The school of fish (aka people of influence) that I spend time with helps determine what kind of bait works on me. 

If I’m “swimming” with people that focus on worldly things, well then I join the easy schools of fish to catch because there’s a variety of bait and lures to be used to snare us. Bait and lures such as status, power, money, popularity, vanity, control, etc work really well on these schools of fish (people). 

But likewise, if I’m spending time with God himself and people that are walking in a close relationship with God, then I begin swimming more countercultural (think of the turquoise color of fish on The Chosen logo).

You see, if I’m swimming with God and with others that have a close relationship with him, there are two wonderful things that begin to happen to me: 

1. Because I’m swimming countercultural, the typical fleshly lures aren’t as appealing to me (lust, greed, power, vanity, etc).   
2. Because I have a support school of fish, they help me recognize the other bait and lures that Satan tries to use on me (doubt, fear, shame, guilt, etc). 

Those we are around do and will continue to influence us to develop a desire (or non-desire) for the bait that Satan tries to lure us with. 

So what school of fish are you swimming with?

Know Better. Do Better. Live Better. Swim with God.

Rocks before Sand!

Scripture: 

“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” 

~ Galatians 5:16-25

Theme Song: 

The Chosen - Opening Lyrics with Credits

References Used:

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.