Who or What Do You See?

As you begin your new day and week, who or what do you see? Do you see people who interrupt your day, make you late, depend upon you too much, drive you crazy, or are needy? Maybe you see people who disappoint you, bother you, impose on you, or make you angry. Possibly you see people who you don’t like, could care less about, or generally dislike. Who or what do you see when you look out around you today?

The Fields ~ White Unto Harvest

Jesus on three different occasions called us to see people in a very specific way. Notice how Jesus describes it:

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. 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 said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38)

Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Luke 10:2)

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” (John 4:35-38)

Jesus pointed us to see people as part of the spiritual harvest. Each individual around us represents a person in the image of God who is eternity bound. They represent the spiritual harvest that is ripe for the message of the gospel.

The gospel message both engages and impacts the heart for salvation and sanctification.

The folks around you can bother you. Possibly, some have sinned against you. Maybe they have disappointed you, hurt you, or left you desiring so much more.

But, don’t let those people influence the way you see and interact with them or others. Instead, see them as part of the spiritual harvest that God desires us to help collect. God wants us to see past those things that may keep us from intentionally moving toward others with compassion; instead, we are to help them possibly grow and change.

Therefore, this week, pay attention to how you see the people around you. May you and I be determined to see in terms of fields white for harvest.

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