The Harvest Is Great: Will You Be a Labourer?

“The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” — Luke 10:2 (KJV)

When Jesus sent His disciples out, He gave them a simple but profound instruction: pray for labourers.

Jesus looked at the people around Him and saw something that His disciples needed to see—the harvest was great, but the labourers were few.

That same reality remains today. There are countless people who need to hear the Gospel, encounter the love of Christ, and discover the hope that is found in Him. The need is great, but the question remains: Who will go? Who will serve? Who will labour?

The Harvest Is Great

Jesus begins with the harvest: “The harvest truly is great…”

A harvest speaks of something that is ready to be gathered. Jesus was pointing His disciples towards people—people who needed to hear the good news of the Kingdom. We can sometimes become so focused on our own lives, responsibilities and circumstances that we forget the people around us. There are people in our workplaces who are struggling. There are neighbours carrying burdens we know nothing about. There are friends searching for purpose. There are family members who need to encounter Christ.

The harvest is still great.

The world does not simply need better programmes, better organisations or better strategies. People need Jesus. And Jesus tells us that the answer begins with prayer. Jesus says: “…but the labourers are few.”

Notice that He does not say the harvest is small. He says the labourers are few.

There is a difference between being a Christian and actively being a labourer in God's harvest. A labourer is willing to serve. A labourer is willing to sacrifice. A labourer is willing to speak when God opens a door. A labourer is willing to pray, encourage, give, disciple and reach others with the Gospel. It is easy to look at the needs around us and think, Someone should do something about this.

But perhaps God is asking us: “Will you?”

The need for labourers is not simply a need for somebody else. It is an invitation for each of us to ask God how He wants to use our lives.

Has God Given You a Gift?

Perhaps one reason there are so few labourers is that some people have been given gifts by God, but those gifts remain unused. God has given each of us abilities, opportunities and resources that can be used for His glory.

Maybe you can sing, teach, encourage people, organise, lead, write, give generously. Maybe you have a gift for hospitality, administration, mentoring or reaching people who feel overlooked.

Whatever gift God has given you, don't bury it. Jesus warned us about the danger of burying what has been entrusted to us. A gift is not given merely for our own enjoyment or recognition. It is given to be used.

Don't wait until you feel perfectly qualified, or somebody notices you, or until everything in your life is in perfect order.

Use what God has placed in your hands. Serve with joy. Serve faithfully. Serve humbly. You don't have to have someone else's gift. You don't have to serve in someone else's role. You simply need to be faithful with what God has entrusted to you. And there is something beautiful about serving God with the gift He has given you: you can serve with joy because you are doing what you were created and equipped to do.

The King's Business Requires Urgency

There is also a sense of urgency in the call to labour. We can always find reasons to delay.

I'll serve when I'm older. I'll get involved when life settles down. I'll do it when I have more time. Someone else can do it.

But the work of the Kingdom cannot always wait for a more convenient season. Jesus said the harvest is great and the labourers are few. That means there is work to be done. As the saying goes, “The King's business requires haste.” When the King gives us an assignment, we should not treat it casually. There are people who need to hear. There are lives that need encouragement. There are believers who need discipling. There are churches that need faithful servants. There are gifts waiting to be used.

If God has been prompting you to serve, take that step. If God has given you a gift, use it. If God has opened a door, walk through it. If there is something you know you should be doing for the Kingdom, don't keep waiting for the perfect moment. The perfect moment may never come.

Your Harvest Field May Already Be Where You Are

When we hear the word labourer, we might imagine someone leaving everything behind to become a missionary or entering full-time Christian ministry. And for some people, that may genuinely be God's calling. God may call someone to leave their current career. He may call someone to move to another city or country. He may call someone to enter ministry or devote themselves to a particular area of Christian service. When God calls, we should be willing to obey. But we should also understand something equally important: You do not necessarily have to change your job to become a labourer.

Your harvest field may already be where you are, your workplace, university or school, neighbourhood, your family, your friendships. Perhaps God has placed you exactly where you are because there are people there whom you are uniquely positioned to reach. You may be the person who can show Christ's love to a colleague. You may be the person who can encourage someone who is going through a difficult season. You may have an opportunity to share your testimony with someone who would never walk into a church.

You can be a labourer without changing your profession.

Sometimes the question is not, “Lord, where should I go?” Sometimes it is: “Lord, what do You want me to do where I already am?” At the same time, we should never use the idea of “my harvest field is where I am” as an excuse to resist God's calling.

For some people, God may be saying, “Go.” The challenge is not to decide beforehand what God's will must look like. Instead, we should pray: “Lord, where do You want me to labour?” If He says stay, then stay and serve faithfully. If He says go, then go and serve faithfully. If He says use your current profession to reach people, then do that wholeheartedly. If He calls you to something completely different, trust Him enough to follow. The important thing is not the location of the harvest field., but our willingness to be sent by the Lord of the harvest. Sometimes we can become so focused on doing something big for God that we overlook the people God has already placed in our lives. We may dream about reaching nations while neglecting the person sitting next to us. We may pray for revival in our city while never speaking to our neighbour about Christ. We may ask God to send missionaries while forgetting that we ourselves have been sent into a particular workplace, family, community or circle of friends. Your mission field may be closer than you think, and the person sitting at the desk next to you tomorrow morning may be part of your harvest field. The colleague you regularly speak with may need to hear about the hope you have in Christ. The friend who keeps asking questions about your faith may be an opportunity God has placed directly in front of you. We don't always need a dramatic change of circumstances.

Sometimes we simply need to recognise the divine opportunities already present in our ordinary lives.

Luke 10:2 is both a prayer and a challenge. Jesus tells us: “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” 

So let us pray for labourers, that God will raise up men and women who are willing to serve Him. But let us also ask ourselves: Am I willing to be one of those labourers? Has God given you a gift? Don't bury it. Has God given you an opportunity? Don't waste it. Has God placed you somewhere? Look for the harvest around you. Has God called you to something different? Don't be afraid to obey. And if God has been stirring your heart to serve, don't keep putting it off.

The King's business requires urgency.

There are people waiting to be reached. There are gifts waiting to be used. There is work waiting to be done.

The Lord of the harvest is not looking for perfect people. He is looking for willing labourers.

So let us pray: “Lord, here am I. Use me. Send me. Show me where to labour, give me grace to use what You have placed in my hands, and help me to serve You with joy while there is still time.”

The harvest is great. The labourers are few. The gifts have been given. The opportunities are before us.

The Lord is waiting on our response. Will you be one of His labourers?