When I was a teenager, my dad called me in the kitchen and with excitement said, “I found you a job today!” I looked at him and said, “I didn’t know I was looking for one.” The next morning before the sun came up, a truck pulled up in my yard with six other teenagers in the back. The truck was headed to the fields. The old farmer rolled down the window and gave us our instructions to my horror. “Start hand-picking the weeds out from between the crop. I’ll be back to pick you up this afternoon,” he said. The sun was breaking over the horizon, and I remember the paralyzing feeling I had as I looked out over the acres and acres of crops. How were we ever going to accomplish this? The only way we would get the job done was by getting started, one weed at a time.
ClampThe world is a pretty big place full of complicated issues, struggles, and hardships. Our planet has billions who are far from God, and the numbers are mind boggling. We hear of the problems facing our country that seem so big to tackle such as an increasing national debt, joblessness, rumors of wars, and a people who call evil good. In South Carolina, we hear of 3.6 million people who do not go to any Christian church, and the accomplishment of the mission seems out of reach. It is natural to be so overwhelmed with the God-sized issues that it paralyzes us from doing anything.
You will never impact the world, until you get started. All of us most likely have a few people that God has placed in our everyday lives who are far from Him. If we are going to live out the Great Commission in our daily lives, we must be willing to serve them and engage them in conversation about Jesus. How can we go across the world and make a difference, if we will not go across the street. It will take cooperation, hard work and diligence – but eternity is at stake.
When the truck pulled up to pick us up, I remember how drained I was. I had never worked so hard in my life. I was exhausted, dirty, and on my knees. We had worked hard and accomplished so much, but there was more work to be done the next day. Reaching the world takes effort, gets a little dirty sometimes, and should drive you to your knees.
“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2 HCSB).
Be an answer to Jesus’ prayer.
– Clamp is evangelism group director for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Follow Lee on twitter @leeclamp or on his blog at www.leeclamp.com.