S167P9 – Sources of joy: his call to collaborate
Jn. 4:33-38
So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
For anyone who has rejoiced at a loved one pulling through a tough surgery, there are some common thoughts. You might thank God for the surgeon or surgeons. You might think of the nurses who helped as well. These are obvious figures to credit for their work, but so many others had a hand in that result. Someone had to invent the equipment they used. Someone else had to maintain it and clean it. Each of those professionals had to be taught their craft by others, and someone had to develop the science. The labor and effort of many people over many years worked in concert to accomplish that result. Just imagine the extent of the collaboration it takes to bring a soul home to the Lord.
Whenever many must collaborate to achieve one result, there is the chance that some will find their work to be more important or less critical than that of the others. God calls us to collaborate in sowing and reaping the harvest of souls, and we can be tempted to weigh our work against that of others. Maybe God has you planting all sorts of seeds, but you never see anyone actually surrender their life to the Lord. Perhaps you have led some to the Lord, but you have had no opportunity to disciple them over time. We should not be discouraged by these differences. We should be rejoicing in the fact that God gives us the privilege of laboring with him and our fellow saints regardless of the role.
If we want to think about this critically and accurately, we must confess that we accomplish nothing without God making it possible. He can call everyone to himself through his Son without my hand or yours. Yet, He desires that we share this work with him. We cannot despise what we see as the small or unimportant jobs. We also cannot allow ourselves to become puffed up when given tasks we consider to be greater. Whether sowing or watering or pruning or reaping, God expects that we do it all with joy and gratitude for the opportunity. Father, thank You for allowing us to take part in completing your work, and keep us humble and grateful to collaborate with You.