STOP SITTING IDLY BY

You find idle labourers in certain places: they sit idly by waiting for people to come and hire them. If no one comes, they do nothing, and of course, they do not get paid. Jesus told a parable of a man who went out early to hire labourers; he went out in the morning, in the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day to hire more of the idle labourers. Up to the eleventh hour, some were still idle, and he asked, “Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.” Matthew 20:1-7.

Many Christians today are like those idle labourers; it’s not that they are unwilling to work, all their lives, they have been waiting for God to call them. They have been waiting to hear God say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” so that they can say, “Here am I; send me.” As good as it sounds; we must understand that it is not the will of God for us to be idle. Jesus said that the harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few. More than ever before, there’s a great need for labourers in the field, and believers must understand that they have already been sent by God.

Jesus said, “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” John 20:21. He also said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19. Now, it is wrong for anyone to think that the mandate wasn't for him or her and that Jesus was referring to the Apostles: that’s far from the truth because 2 Corinthians 5:18&19 says He gave us the ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation. You don’t have to be like Billy Graham to work for God, all God wants is for you to start reaching out to those around you and to use whatever gifts and talents that He has given to you for His glory.

Stop sitting idly by, waiting to hear an audible voice from God, or to receive some vision of what you should do: stop waiting to be hired when you have already been hired! Immediately Paul was saved, he asked, “What would you have me do?” Meanwhile many who have been saved for years are yet to start doing something for God. Come on! Decide today that you will no longer be idle; get busy working for your Lord. Shalom.