Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
Recently, in a conversation I had with various clergy, the question was raised, “Why is it that so many Christians today don’t put the same effort in their spiritual life and service to God as they do in their secular life and service to employers?” I’ve given this conversation much thought, and I believe I could rephrase this question to ask, “Why are so many Christians today reluctant to actively serve God through serving in their church?” I know plenty of people that when it comes to their secular life, in and out of work, the sky is the limit. They are willing to work overtime on days and weekends or keep strange hours if it means making it to a special event. They won’t think twice about skipping church on Sunday. And when it comes to serving the Lord in special ways or at special times, the conversation becomes filled with “I can’t,” “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t have the time,” or the much overused “You don’t want me to do that.” Rest assured, when one is invited to serve in a particular way, that person IS wanted by the one who asked. And the one who asks IS none other than Christ the Lord.
This reminds me of when I was a younger man, my dad was someone who seldom attended worship. Yet, one day, he went with my mom and found a few of his friends were regular attendees of the very same congregation. Eventually, Dad became a once in a while pew sitter, and after some time he was just as regular in his church attendance as his friends. Once that happened, his pastor recognized that he had gifts to share. The pastor asked my dad if he would serve as an usher. The initial answer was “No.” But after being asked a few more times Dad relented and became an usher.
Then he was asked to serve on the Hospitality Committee. Again, he initially said “No.” But after some encouragement, he agreed. Then came the biggie. The pastor asked Dad to serve the congregation as an Elder. What followed was the usual chorus of “I can’t” and “I’m not good enough” and the inevitable “You don’t want me to do that.” The truth is, the pastor DID want my dad to do that, because the pastor recognized that Dad had the giftedness for the position, Dad just didn’t want to believe it. And like many people, he didn’t want the inconvenience of serving.
Long story short, Dad finally responded to God’s call to serve and he became an Elder. He and my mom were also the chief members of the Hospitality Committee. Dad never missed a Sunday, and he found great joy in serving God through serving his congregation. That’s how it works. Unexpected joy through serving God never comes if “I can’t” turns into “I won’t.”
The devil would love nothing more than to convince you that you are not able, you are not worthy, or you are not wanted. “I can’t,” “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t have the time,” and “You don’t want me” are all the devil’s words, not words of faith. They are the tricks he uses to convince you that you should not serve the God who saves you from the consequences of sin. Instead, the devil will try to convince you that a secular life filled with work and play is more desirable. And if you attend worship, you are better off just sitting in the pew noticing the actions of others. The devil wants you to respond to God’s call saying, “I won’t.”
In our text, Jesus exhorts his disciples to earnestly pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send more laborers into the fields. This is the prayer of every church leader I know. To tell the truth, there is plenty of room for more people to engage in the ministry of any congregation. By responding to God’s call to serve, the faithful will always find unexpected joy through the giving of their time and giftedness. Here at St. Jacob’s, we have plenty of opportunities. How will you answer when asked?
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
