Fish or Cut Bait (Tenacity Gone Wrong)

You Never Know Until You Try.

I had a conversation with someone recently in which “fish or cut bait” came up. I don’t know how often it’s used now, but most Americans under 50 have probably heard this little saying, which means recognizing when it’s time to continue on a course of action or change course, maybe even changing the intended destination entirely. If we’re fishing for wrong thing, tenacity can be a very bad thing. If we're fishing for the right thing, tenacity is a good thing. Beyond that, I think when we’re fishing for the right thing, tenacity is a “God thing.”

Hours after the conversation, during my bedtime devotional time, I started thinking how this idea of fishing or cutting bait has recurred in my life over the last year. I’ve had to cut bait once or twice. Obviously, it’s really important for everyone to listen to God’s still, small voice and to learn from experience; for a tenacious go-getter, it’s extra important. It’s all too easy to run ahead, using human wisdom, human logic, human fear, human strength, thinking that we know the answer. The catch is that we have to be teachable, or we won’t get anywhere. God can talk until He’s blue in the face, and it won’t do any good.

We plan, God laughs, right? I don’t know that I believe that. I know the wisdom behind the notion that He laughs at our plans—it’s because He knows the beginning, middle and end, and our plans, if carried out, might yield disastrous ends. That’s why I’m so glad that He speaks to us, gently directing our steps. Rather than laughing at us, I think it’s more likely that God mourns our stubbornness or lack of faith, shaking His head in frustration when we plug along, determined to make things happen that aren’t for our good but that we’re convinced we want or have no choice but to do. Sometimes we even get caught up in the “Do something, even if it’s wrong” mentality. I hate, abhor, loathe, detest, despise being in the "wilderness." And that’s where I’ve been the last year. At least I’m not in it alone.

This last year, while fishing for a post-degree job that supports me (and I, hopefully, don’t hate), I’ve also fished for God. I’ve yelled at Him, cried to Him, begged and pleaded, studied and prayed harder than ever before. It’s been messy—messier than literally thrashing around with a shark, but I’m still fishing. I’m fishing for peace; I’m fishing for knowledge of who I really am and Who He is; I’m fishing to understand what I believe about Him and where those beliefs are tainted by my experiences and Satan’s lies regarding those experiences.

It’s never time to cut bait when we’re fishing for God, trying to know Him better. And unlike real fishing for real fish, God bends over backward to be caught. After all, He's fishing for us.