Articles

Reaching Out | Part II

Depending on God

As disciples of Jesus, we are invited to join our Savior in the mission of restoring our world. We are called to the news of his salvation, his peace, his life, and his joy.

Yet, Jesus cautions his disciples in Luke 10:3:

‘Behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.’

That sounds kind of scary, doesn’t it? And yet, it’s true!

There are people in our world who don’t want to be told that Jesus has a better way. Even though their hearts are broken, bruised, and worn, they are resistant to entrusting themselves to Christ’s love. So they attack us as ‘naive’, or call us weak and gullible. And for us, the going can get tough.

The fear of opposition makes us nervous. So, what do we do?

We rehearse our lines. We learn our theology. We perfect our evangelistic techniques. We gather our literature. We get ready to argue.

But that’s not what Jesus instructs in Luke 10:4:

‘Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.’

Don’t get distracted by thinking you’re not ready — that you’re not equipped enough. God will provide precisely what you need. He always does.

‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’

If we are to do the work of Jesus in this world, the kind of equipping we most need is not to perfect our presentation. It is to pray! But notice what we are to pray for: We are to pray for laborers. Not in the first instance do we pray for the harvest. We don’t need to! It’s already ripe and plentiful. Instead, we pray for laborers.

When we begin praying for laborers, something happens. Surprisingly, we become God’s answer to our own prayers. We become his laborers. So, in effect, we are praying for ourselves as we reach out in faith, resting in God’s promise to uphold us.

We don’t need the perfect gospel ‘pitch’. We need God’s strength and his love. Any of our human substitutions for God’s supernatural provision won’t be enough to sustain the calling he has given us. We depend on his infinite power and goodness. There is nothing better to depend on.

Quit delaying! Depend on God. Pray for laborers. Pray for yourself! Then, go and get the word out!