[reprinted from June 14, 2012]
He said to his disciples,“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew 9:37-38 (NLT)
What is the season of your life? Do you recognize the season that God has you in so that you are obediently walking and working in that season?
I have a friend who is moving into a new season in his life. He has been a 12-18 hour a day worker in God’s vineyard for many, many years. I mean he has put in some serious sweat equity for the Kingdom! He is now moving away from that season and, frankly, there are those who are upset that he is, in their mind, no longer going to be preaching and teaching the Gospel as he has been doing. They cannot imagine not having him as their leader.
But they are wrong. He is still going to be preaching and teaching the Gospel. He could no more stop doing that – than he could stop breathing. He has eyes to see that God is sending him to work in a different part of the vineyard now. There are people that will never hear the Gospel inside a church. Even if they are in the church, they may be too distracted or too religious to really hear what God is trying to say to them. But sitting on the porch with my friend, drinking an icy glass of sweet tea, they may have ears to hear and a heart to receive God’s Word, His instructions to them. And my friend will deliver it!
God’s vineyard is BIG and diverse! Job descriptions to work in His vineyard are as diverse as the harvest the workers are to bring in. We need to open our eyes and ears to His voice so that we do not miss an opportunity, a season, in the work that He has called us to do. There aren’t “hard” jobs and “easy” jobs. Each will have its challenges. Each has the potential to bring Him great glory. And each can be camouflaged by the enemy to make us think that the job isn’t “important” or “as necessary” as what someone else is doing. Let us make sure we are doing our job the way God wants us to instead of looking around and criticizing others in their work!
So when we read this passage, and others, about working for the LORD, let us open ourselves up to all the possibilities where God may use us. He’s a very creative guy! His Good News goes well with salsa and chips and a tall glass of sweet tea on the front porch. Share it with whoever He sends over! Let us see our lives, what we are called to do, through God’s eyes.
Through Heaven’s Eyes from the movie, Prince of Egypt, sung by Bryan Stokes Mitchell
