Patient in the Work

Let’s say, for the sake of illustration, that yesterday you told someone about Jesus, and they blew you off. But then last night, your words suddenly came back to them like a little explosion. It was a delayed reaction.

The seeds of the gospel that you sow today may break ground tomorrow. You just want to be faithful in getting those seeds out there.

Sometimes that’s a full-blown proclamation of the gospel, and sometimes it’s sharing a little bit of your testimony. Sometimes it may be returning something that was lost with a “God bless you.” Or it may be telling someone who’s hurting, “I’ll remember to pray for you.”

By doing those things, you’re sowing little seeds. Or you might be watering seeds that others have sown.

Jesus said to His disciples, “You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest” (John 4:37–38 NLT).

Utilizing this line of thought, the apostle Paul said, “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6–7 NLT).

Conversion is the work of God and God alone.

Yes, He’s looking for laborers in the field, and every one of us has an important part to play. Sometimes it’s a matter of sowing a seed, and other times it’s watering a seed that another person sowed. And sometimes, by God’s grace, it’s reaping what others have sown and watered. But we must be patient in the work of sharing the gospel.