We Can Make a Difference

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people (Mt. 9:35).

He did all He could. When He saw the crowds and the many people who needed to be saved, Jesus was moved. So when you and I see the people as Jesus saw them—as image-bearers in need of rescue—it will move us. We must understand what’s important to God to have an eternal impact. Then, as we catch His heart, we can be driven by His mission. If we are to see lives won to Christ, we need to see the harvest as Jesus saw it.

How did Jesus see the harvest?

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He told His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest” (Mt. 9:36-38).

The world is big. The crowds are enormous. The number of lost and dying people is overwhelming. In Jesus’ day, the world’s population was close to 150 million. Today, approximately 140 million babies are born worldwide every year. The world’s population exceeds 8 billion people, with the population of the United States over 330 million. Not only was the harvest of people vast as Jesus looked upon it, but those people brought tears to His eyes.

Make no mistake about it: Jesus loves people. The word used for compassion is the strongest word for pity in the Greek language. It describes the love that moves a person to the depths of their being. Jesus is overwhelmed by his passion for people as he sees the vastness of the crowds, the perplexity of their problems, and the sense of urgency in reaching them. All those people, then and now, matter to Jesus.

Shockingly, the Pharisees or religious leaders of Jesus’ day saw ordinary people as trash to be destroyed and burned up. Jesus, on the other hand, saw them as a harvest to be reaped and saved. The Pharisees, in their pride, looked for the destruction of sinners; Jesus, in love, died for the salvation of sinners.

Jesus Christ needs men and women to bring in the harvest. Without reapers, souls will perish. As followers of Jesus today, we need to see people as Jesus saw them.

What can we do?

We can take responsibility for our field. Think of all the people you come in contact with every day. Your family, friends, neighbors, work associates, and those at the grocery store—this is your field! Mother Teresa said, “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.” You are anointed by the Spirit of God for this season of harvest! The Gospel begins with “go.” Without going, there is no knowing. If we don’t go, who will?

We can pray for them. There’s a big job to be done, and the work can seem overwhelming. But God accomplishes His work in a different way than we do. He told His disciples to pray. In the book Empowered to Share, Joe Oden talks about the initiative called “My Five.” It is a simple tool to help you pray daily: write down the names of five people you know are lost and bring them before the Lord regularly.

We can share our story. Each person was given their story for a reason. For example, the apostle Paul’s story helped him reach the high authorities. The apostles’ stories reached the hearts of new believers, and many others who Christ touched found power in their stories. We can still use our stories to reach out to people around us.

Once, a man was walking down the beach at dawn when he noticed a young man picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea ahead. Catching up with the youth, he asked what he was doing.“Well, the starfish are stranded here, and they will die in the heat of the morning sun,” responded the younger man.

“But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish,” countered the older man. “How can your effort make a difference?”

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it safely in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one.”

Holy Spirit, stir our hearts to make a difference in someone’s life today. Jesus, help us see people as you see them. Father, give us an opportunity to Impact Eternity!