Last weekend a friend emailed me in response to a previous blog post I had written about evangelism. She read through the post and planned to use the conversation starters I provided to help her share the love of God with a friend in the hospital. She drove upwards of 6 hours to get to her friend, and at different times along the drive she would pray “God, please don’t let me screw this up.”

Sitting in the hospital room she shared her heart, using the script I provided as a guide. I am humbled to share with you that she was able to pray with her friend and he accepted Jesus Christ into his heart, and said he wanted to start going to church.

I was reading her message while I was sitting in my bedroom. Immediately I got up and went to read the message to my husband, but I couldn’t get the words out. I just cried. I said this is what it’s all about. This is why I blog, have a book coming out, and am still writing. This is why I labor. This is what I want to harvest.

Souls.

There has been a thought rolling around in my mind lately, more like a question actually. A question that can help me do better. Whatever I do, can become clearer, more defined, and celebrated. The question is “What what am I trying to harvest?”

Matthew 9:35-38 says “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

A lot of times we talk about our labor, but we don’t always talk about our harvest.

Some great things we can work to harvest:

Health

Financial Stability

Positive Relational Boundaries

Education/Career

Promotion (Either in pay or in title)

The problem with laboring for these is, just because they are great things, doesn’t mean they are the right things. We can labor for a long time and wonder where the abundant blessing is, where the permanent fruit is, where the miracle provision is… but if we are laboring for the wrong thing God isn’t the one doing all of the providing. It’s us in our own strength. I can host small groups, baby showers, write blogs, mentor young adults, and so on, but if it’s to reap a job, or harvest influence… ITS. THE. WRONG. THING. Yes, even those in the ministry can labor to harvest the wrong things, good things but not right things.

Of course, changing what we labor for can mean we must prefer others, think about our schedules differently, and how we see ourselves and lives all together. But that is the point!

Can I ask you a tough question?

What are you trying to harvest?

I want to labor for the right thing. I also know, God promises those good things (health, financial stability, etc.) in the Bible.

Join me, as I use my talents, time, and treasures to harvest souls, and encourage the Christianity of others.

xo, Steph

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