Hunting & Fishing Rightly Ordered

Some can’t quite grasp the allure to hunt & fish. Not even those of us who enjoy it can articulate it perfectly. It’s similar to the desire for a good hike, or the unshakeable need to gaze at the mountains in glacier national park. Except when it comes to hunting & fishing, not only do you get to enjoy nature, you get to join in on the chorus. The outdoorsman seeks to join in on the dance of life & death, and if he succeeds he obtains the gratification of having demonstrated some level of mastery over the creation that God has put under his authority. Sometimes you win and sometimes you are reminded that only God is sovereign. It’s an exhilarating experience.

But like all things these hobbies need to be rightly ordered. It makes no sense to abandon the throngs of God’s people on the Lord’s Day for the inferior choirs of nature. Keeping the sabbath is a command, hunting is a privilege. Worship is not optional, skinning a goose is always optional. Honoring God is paramount.

This one will sound obvious but the obligations of family are also more important than that trophy elk. The outdoorsman’s family must not suffer. If your monthly budget is taking a hit you’ve gone too far. If your wife is devoid of love and affection you’ve made a mistake. If your kids are misbehaving you’ve been too absent.

​There are ways to work around these more important duties and still have a good time. Being in right standing with God will give everything else color. It is only when we rightly order our lives that we can truly say we have done all things to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).

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