“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His
harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
We are living the answer to this prayer in my house this
week, and it’s been tough on this mama.
My second-born son left today. He is headed to Denver, where
he will serve in a friend’s church, then head out six weeks from now to teach
English in Xining, China. He is a God-follower who longs to bring the life and
light of Christ to the world.
We’ve spent hours reading missionary biographies on the
couch; prayed hundreds of prayers that our children would be used in the
kingdom; felt our hearts break as we heard stories of needy people around the
world.
The outcome of these years? Soon, one piece of our hearts
will wing its way into a country hungry for the truth of the gospel.
Sally shares about helping our children see their value as
ministers in chapter eleven.
“Helping our children understand that they were
designed uniquely by God to serve the needs of others helps them to realize
their position in God’s kingdom. each person will have an opportunity to live
out a story of how God used them uniquely to bring his light into the world. The
real foundations of a positive self-image are built upon the significance
bestowed upon us by God in allowing us to be part of the work of His kingdom.
Whether that work involves leading someone to the Lord, feeding the poor,
writing a note of encouragement to a depressed friend, visiting a lonely and
unloved neighbor, it is all significant to the Lord.
But how does a family specifically serve God and others? For
us, the focal points for training our children and serving as a family have
been hospitality, helping those in need, and evangelistic outreach. Through
what we teach and model in these areas, we hope to pass along God’s purposes to
our children and to the families they will establish.”
Something to Read:
Matthew 25:34-46 ““Then the King will say to those on
His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I
was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you
gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I
was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord,
when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something
to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite
You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You
sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will
answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to
one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it
to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘ Depart from
Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil
and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing
to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did
not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You
hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I
say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these,
you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This is a long, difficult passage! Are there people in your
life right now who need the love and service your family has to give? What can
you do?
Something to Try:
Help your children bake a treat of some kind and deliver
them with notes saying, “I appreciate you!” to five people whom the
Lord brings to mind.
To Discuss in the Comments:
What can you do as a family to fulfill Jesus’ directions to
go and be a blessing in the world around you?
About Misty Krasawski