Desperately Seeking Labor

Desperately seeking labor… this seems to be a common theme these days both in the spiritual world and the natural world. Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few.” Yet, when I look around, I see many that appear to be laboring. Saints laboring in outreach, ministry, and all types of church activities or programs. So what then could Jesus have been speaking of in this scripture? Is there something more to laboring in the Kingdom then what meets the eye?

To understand, we should first consider what harvesting actually entails – it is the gathering of the crop and one of the most labor intensive steps in the agricultural process. In modern times technology has eased the intensity; but back in biblical days, harvesting crops involved hardcore physical labor. These men had to be prepared for the work set before them. If they weren’t, the heat from the day or the intensity of labor could hinder them from finishing the task at-hand. It’s sort of like starting yard work at two o’clock on a Florida summer afternoon after being in the air condition and enjoying the comfort of your couch since you woke up. You’ll last about a minute and then call it quits. But, if instead you started your work at 8 in the morning, the summer heat isn’t as bad. The workers of the harvest were equipped for the task because of their labor throughout the entire growing season. They pulled weeds, removed bugs, watered the plants, and cultivated a healthy crop. This labor not only encouraged endurance for the next growing season, but it also kept life in the crop that they intended for harvest.

There is labor in preparation. Too often we get tied up in the routine of Kingdom work and the labor God intended gets lost or pushed aside from lack of time. If our effort to prepare is not our first priority, we will not be spiritually fit enough for the intensity of the harvest. Said another way, we will not endure and “the laborers will be few.”To be clear, I’m not saying that the everyday Kingdom activities are without purpose; I’m simply thinking outside of the box for a true understanding of the scripture. Hebrews 4:10-11 says, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” The scripture is telling us that there is a promise of rest when we stop living or working in our own will and allow God to lead us in His. This rest comes when your desire to please God is greater than the desire to satisfy yourself. The next verse says, “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Another version says it like this, “If we disobey God (in the commandment of resting in Him), as the people of Israel did, we will fall.” The Word of God tells us that Holy Spirit fire, meant for purification of the church, will be poured out before the great harvest is gathered. If we have not labored to enter and stand firmly in the will of God, the risk of getting burned (or falling away) is great.

Referring to my opening passage, the following verse in Luke (Luke 10:3) shows Jesus’ instruction for the Apostles, “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.” At first glance, it appears the Apostles were just instructed to sacrifice themselves and their basic needs, but there is a much deeper message. Jesus is telling them to “take nothing and put your trust in me; rest in me. Remember, who I am. I am Jehovah Jireh, your Provider; I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I am, the great I AM.”

We should not fear what lies ahead on our ordained paths. If God is with us, who can be against us? The Apostles had great faith and understanding of who Jesus is, but they didn’t wake up one morning with that knowledge; they had to labor for it through sacrifice, prayer, fasting, obedience, and submission. They left their lives behind to follow and commune with Jesus, and since He never changes – He is the same yesterday, today, and forever – the labor to enter His rest (or His will) should be our priority. Without it, we will be useless and ineffective for true harvest work. When we are in His will, everything else falls into place. Bonds are broken, the sick are healed, and the lost are saved. Let this be our greatest burden: continually laboring to enter His will in our lives.