The Long Haul “For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (John 4:37-38 ESV) It’s very easy to get caught up in the “go big, go fast, or go home” mentality. This can also creep into the church and our Christian walk. Almost every story you hear of church planting success is of how a gifted leader started with almost nothing and then the congregation just blew up overnight. Seldom do we hear a leader share about long years of faithful labor with little initial fruit, but how God was still at work regardless of the numbers. The Bible verses for today come after the famous story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus had just finished talking to the woman and she was bringing people from the city to see the Christ (John 4:29-30). We read this and can rejoice about it. Jesus talked to a woman and now a large number of people came to him. This is a success story we want to be a part of. But, Jesus wanted the disciples to know that the spiritual harvest they were experiencing was the result of a long-term process and other people’s labor. Other people had gone before them- tilling the ground, planting the seed, watering the soil, and now they were witnessing the harvest. We can get caught up in the reaping as the disciples probably were. This can happen in our ministry circles or even with lost friends we want to see come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. We often focus on reaping as opposed to the tilling, sowing, watering, and cultivating that must occur before we reap. In other words we want to see the result of people embracing and pursuing Jesus without putting the work into the rest of the cycle. This can also cause us to be discouraged when we don’t see quick results in our ministry. But, we can be encouraged by Jesus’ words and realize that the work we are doing now will bring a harvest even if we aren’t there to be a part of it. Be faithful with the small but significant doors God has opened in people’s lives around you and have a long-haul view of investing in those lives. Also, recognize and celebrate God moving in people’s lives even when it isn’t harvest time.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:01:24 +0000
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