Ready for the Harvest

The evidence of lostness and brokenness are found everywhere in our world. Young and old are stressed about life. Anxiety and depression are at all-time highs. Alcohol, drug abuse and broken homes litter the landscape of life. We encounter this brokenness at work, at school, in our friendships and even in our own homes. Pride and shame keep us from acknowledging and sharing these struggles with others and especially our church family. Somehow Satan has convinced Christians that if we are "real Christians" that we won’t have these types of struggles. If we do, the story goes, we are doing something wrong and we are better off to hide them so everyone will think we have it together. What lies we believe. The result of this lie is people both inside and outside the church that are hurting. They are suffering in silence and feel like they are the only ones with these problems.

Jesus has an encounter in John 4 with an outcast woman. She knew the struggles of life. When she comes to know who Jesus is, her life is transformed. She runs to town and tells the people to come see a man that has changed her life, a man who knows her life and yet accepts her and changes her. Jesus tells his disciples as the towns people are coming, that the fields are white unto harvest. This is true today. Lost people, broken people, hurting people are everywhere. What are you and I willing to do to reach and minister to people? Will you step out of your comfort zone and get to know them? Will you answer their questions? Will you listen to their story? Will you be forgiving? Will you be accepting of where they are with the hope and prayer that they will be transformed by the saving knowledge of Jesus. Are you willing to allow God to take you to uncomfortable places, where you don’t have all the answers? Our homes, our neighborhoods and our communities are filled with people that need us to represent Jesus to them. Will you be used by God to touch their lives?