People; God's Greatest Resource

What is our greatest need in the area of missions? I once had one of our partners ask me that question. Is it more money, more miracles, signs and wonders, is it better methods, and/or is it more state-of-the-art equipment?

All of these are good and necessary but I believe that the greatest resource we have been given is people—God's people. In Christ's ministry, there was surely never a need, His ministry never lacked. He had all of the resources that He could ever need at His disposal. Yet, Christ realized this great need for laborers and instructed us to pray about it to the Father.

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and every weakness and infirmity.

When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, the harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.
(Matt. 9:35-38 AMP)

In the book of Matthew, Jesus is ministering through cities and villages teaching and healing every manner of sickness and disease. The scripture says that He observed their condition.

They were so oppressed, so lost. They were harassed, distressed, dejected and helpless and He was moved with great compassion by their condition. Though He selflessly served and tirelessly ministered, He was just one man and there were so many people and so many needs.

Turning to His disciples, He desperately challenged them with these now famous words: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Christ realized that the greatest need was for anointed, compassionate laborers.

Like so many of us that work in missions, Christ realized that the desperation of human need was beyond His ability to adequately meet alone. At the same time, like so many of us that work in missions, He realized how hard it is to motivate people to practically respond to humanity's desperate, lost condition.

Christ was caught up in the moment, possessed by the loving compassion of God for His people. At that moment, Christ was supernaturally connected with God as His heart was broken for the condition of His people. But the disciples, like so many disciples today, were disconnected and maybe even disinterested in what appeared to be such an overwhelming situation.

Christ's answer was to turn to the Father in prayer. Our answer should be the same:

Oh Lord, Oh Lord of the Harvest, the people of the world, the lost and the dying, are your great love, oh Lord for them have mercy.

Lord of the harvesters thrust out laborers. Lord—you and you alone can influence the hearts of your people. Lord we need Laborers—some willing to plow to break up ground hardened by the centuries. We need some willing to plant—to sow the incorruptible and eternal seed of your Word.

God, we need some who are willing to nurture that seed—to water, to remove the weeds, to cultivate, to insure a harvest. Lord we need harvesters, evangelists, gifted in leading others into the truth, skilled in the Word, able to work miracles, anointed to operate in the gifts of the Spirit.

We need people whose eyes are wide open to the desperation and lost condition of God's people. Lord, what we need today are people—people that are willing to serve, to give, to die if need be, to labor with compassion among the nations. We need people whose hearts are broken for the condition of God's people. This is what we pray. Amen—so be it Lord.