As people who are in Christ, we have many roles, as we have seen over the past couple of months. One of the most important roles we have is as a laborer not just for Christ, but alongside Him, for His cause. We are called to go & tell the news of salvation, not just sit on the sidelines absorbing the Good News & expecting others to go out & do the work.

For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building -1 Corinthians 3:9

According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the  Greek word “sunergos,” or fellow worker, denotes “one who labors with another in furthering the cause of Christ… whom God employs as an assistant for the advancement of the kingdom… for the benefit of the truth.” It doesn’t take a special calling or gifting or fancy education to fulfill this role- all who are in Christ are God’s assistants, qualified laborers in His field!

In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus tells the disciples “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few,” & instructs them to pray for workers to reap the harvest. Y’all, WE are the workers the disciples prayed for! It is OUR job to share the Gospel, to “contend alongside fellow co-laborers in the cause of the gospel” (Philippians 4:3). It is God’s will for all to be saved, but all do not receive that opportunity if they have not been told about Him!

My very good friend Katy once spoke on this topic at a Women of the Word event our church held, & she said something that evening that just stuck with me:

We pray for laborers across the paths of people, we need to BE laborers to others – Katy Minor

To elaborate on that, she said to me yesterday, “…all too often we expect others to be the laborer & not ourselves. Think about everyone that you encounter everyday, how many of them are unsaved. You may be the only Jesus they see.” Have you ever really thought about that? You are in Christ, & He is in you, & YOU might be the only Jesus that crosses the path of an unsaved person who has never heard of Him- YOU might be their only opportunity to learn Who He is. How are you representing Him? What seeds are you planting in God’s field?

Each one of us has a role in the field. One plants a seed, others come along who water & nurture that seed, until finally a worker comes along who says just the right thing, in just the right way, to reap that harvest & lead that person to salvation. Don’t bite your tongue for fear of offending someone- the Word promises blessing on those unoffended by Him (Luke 7:23), & truth be told, if you fail to speak Truth for fear of the reactions of others, you have shown yourself to be offended. Honor Him without fear by speaking His Truth in love whenever, wherever the Spirit moves you to. You might not be the one who reaps the harvest, but you might be the one who plants the seed, or maybe the one who is nurturing  seed planted by a laborer who came before you. Don’t be disappointed if you share the Gospel with someone who doesn’t accept Christ or rejects what you have to say, the laborer who will reap that harvest is on the way behind you.

-Walking as His Laborer by Faith & Finding the Blessings, Gerri