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My friend, David, loves God and loves people. He is always looking around, observing his world to see if he can help someone who has a need. He believes that gives him an opportunity to share about God and God’s love. Some may minimize lifestyle evangelism and think that people only accept Jesus after hearing a sermon, but more are likely to after you meet a need in their life. This was Jesus’ approach many times. He met their need, and then they accepted him.

David said he went to a restaurant the other day, and while he was eating, the lady who had taken his order came up to him. “You’re religious, right?” she asked. “No. I’m not religious at all, and I don’t like religion. Religion is about rules. But I do have a great relationship with God. He loves us so much, and I love him back,” he told her. “Aren’t you the one who bought the homeless man dinner a few months ago?” “Yes. That was me,” he replied.

David said that he was surprised she remembered him. Evidently, his actions made an impact on her. It got her attention. He went on to tell me that as he was eating, he noticed how many customers were coming in. The restaurant was getting slammed! He also noticed that the customers who left didn’t get their tables bussed. He knew what he needed to do.

He said he quickly jumped up and continued where the waitress had left off. He stacked the dirty dishes in the tub, along with the glasses, silverware, and trash. He also knew to wipe off the tables and wipe out the seats of the booth. The tub got full, and he knew he couldn’t take it into the kitchen, so he left it on the table across from his.

With the newest customers’ orders now in the system, she returned to the dining room. “I know that is not where I left the tub,” she commented to David. She looked around and saw a lot of clean tables. “Did you do this?” she inquired. “Maybe an angel did it,” he said with a big smile on his face. “Thank you. You didn’t need to do that,” she said. “But you all were getting slammed, and the new customers needed clean places to sit and eat,” he commented.

David knows that she will definitely remember him. She witnessed his consistency in putting God’s love on display and in motion. And he knows that the next time he goes in there to eat, she will be primed. This means that her heart will be open and ready to hear more about God’s love for us and his Son’s gift of salvation. For the harvest is ready, but the number of workers is few.

Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working.
1 Cor. 3:5-8 (MSG)

“Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”
Matt. 9:38 (NET)

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