Oh, how I identify with this picture. July days in a hot steamy rice field. We always started the day as the sun came up because the rice field was like a sauna in the afternoon. The moisture rising from the flooded field and the scorching sun made it almost unbearable.

I remember as I got out of the truck I was covered in mosquitoes. Covered meant my arms were black from so many latching on for breakfast. I would spray down with “Off” but that was only good for the first wave. Mosquitoes were a reality of life. Whining & complaining had no effect. The job had to be done.

Notice the unique shovel on the man’s shoulder. The long handle is necessary for leverage in digging heavy mud to fix broken levies or close-up the field. The shovel is also a defensive weapon to kill aggressive cottonmouth moccasins and wild hogs. Both thought they owned the rice field. My dad taught me to never go into the field without a sharp shovel.

Being ready, having a sharp shovel relates to 1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” That is because every day on the farm brought new challenges & obstacles. Without a clear purpose most people would give up. But my dad, who experienced  many obstacles kept getting up…kept finding a way. The remarkable part he never complained, never. He never lost sight of the purpose…the harvest. Everything, his time and money, was invested to maximize the Harvest Value.  

How about you, are you being distracted by the mosquitoes of life? Are you being dragged down by the negative people around you? Are you glued to the “bad” news media? Or maybe you spend so much time worrying about the snakes & hogs in your field that you can’t do your job.

But to the point, do you know your job? Do you know as a Born-Again Believer & Follower of Christ you have a job?

Paul gives us a clear job description in 2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” Question, do people recognize Jesus in you by the way you live & behave?

While I have never been an ambassador I know they are in a foreign country, they never represent themselves and it’s a 24-7 job. Think about what else Paul said, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” Philippians 3:20. Therefore, the obstacles we face are only temporary. The mosquitoes & snakes will pass but Jesus is forever! This is not our home!

Peter tells us, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 And when we follow Christ’s command, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. When we obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit… to do our job, we are maximizing the Harvest Value of our life.

Dear friend, I encourage you “fix our (your) eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 and when you, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.” From the song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”.