One of the most significant challenges every church faces is the need for volunteers. People plead from the pulpit, send out catchy emails, and beg from social media and still come up short. There is a way that the church can have all the volunteers it needs and it is the opposite of what everyone else says. Jesus lays out the process in today’s devotion. The Harvest is ready.
Matthew 9:37-38
“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
Jesus Sees the Hearts
Jesus saw the needs and the hearts of the lost and lonely people. He also knew how His Father chose to reach these people. He tells the disciples how to be sure to have enough workers to reach these people. By praying to the God of the harvest, you ensure there are enough workers. Sound simple? It is, but it is often the last resort people use to get volunteers. You have to understand a couple of principles to enact this.
Not Our Responsibility
First, we need to understand that this is God’s harvest, not ours. We are his farm workers who do the tilling, planting and reaping but the harvest is his. When we do the work of the ministry for our benefit, we take everything personal. When someone quits, we think it is because of something we did or didn’t do. If we have the mentality that this harvest is the Lord’s we can rest easy because it’s his responsibility.
Go to the Source
Next, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. If the Harvest is his, then we need to go to the boss and have him bring in the workers. He can move on a person’s heart way more than we can convince them. He sees the size of the harvest and knows precisely the amount of workers needed so go to him. I’ve found when I do this more workers than expected show up and those I never would’ve considered respond. Go to the Lord and seek the workers you need. The harvest is ready. Ask the Lord for the workers.