You May Never See the Harvest You Helped Plant

“I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.” John 4:38

I once heard the story of a man who lived in a small town in Ontario, Canada. He had a speech impediment but he desperately wanted to serve the Lord. He found a way by handing out Gospel booklets on a street in his town. 

A few years later I was working in a Canadian community about 2,700 KM from the town in Ontario. One day a young woman came into my workplace and in the course of our conversation I discovered she was a Jesus follower. One day as she traveled through that Ontario town, she accepted a booklet from the man on the street, and put it in her backpack. Later in a quiet moment she read the booklet and her heart was touched. She confessed her sins and became a Jesus follower. 

Perhaps you have had encounters with people where you did not see any immediate results. Don't be discouraged. The man in the Ontario town probably never knew of the significant impact his simple act of obedience had on a young traveler passing through his town. My interaction with the young woman was brief but in that moment I became part of the team God was using to disciple her and encourage her in her faith.  

As Jesus followers we are part of a team consisting of millions and millions of people worldwide. The Holy Spirit is going before us bringing awareness, questioning and conviction to people who do not know Jesus. None of us can do the work the Holy Spirit does. The initial work is always his. Our role is to be ready to offer a word of encouragement to someone, or harvest the fruit of his work, or to be a partner in discipling new Jesus followers so they too become part of the amazing team who are making disciples across the street and around the world.