Spent for the Gospel: The Joy of Laboring for the Kingdom

“My body is tired, but my heart is full.”

After serving in youth ministry for a handful of years, this has become my standard response when a parent asks, “How are you?” in the church parking lot after weeks of summer camp or weekend winter retreats. It’s true—the early mornings and late nights, the deep and difficult conversations, and the strains on my body (which admittedly isn’t getting any younger) are frequent companions of youth ministry. 

But while it’s wonderful to get a hot shower and eight hours of sleep in a soft queen-sized bed, I’ve begun to notice that it’s when I’m running on fumes that my heart most flutters inside of me, fueled by the reminder that there’s kingdom work to do. In times like these, I feel the most fulfilled—even though I am tired and needy—because in some little way I have been poured out for the gospel like a drink offering.

The Harvest Is Great . . . but Is Our Comfort Greater?

Most of the time when we think of kingdom work, we picture missionaries going to far-flung places sharing the hope of the gospel with those who have never heard the name of Jesus. The Church is in desperate need of faithful men and women who are willing to answer that call, but does this mean that those of us who stay at home are not also workers of the harvest? As the apostle Paul might say, by no means!

In Matthew 9, after Jesus had been busy forgiving sins, healing ailments, and casting out demons, He took a moment and looked around. Matthew wrote, 

When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (vv. 36–38) 

All around us are sheep who are distressed and dejected, without a shepherd. But often we don’t notice them or their needs.

As I write this, I am sitting at my kitchen table in my comfortable apartment in a small town just outside of Columbus, Ohio. I’ve not once worried about being martyred or thrown in jail for my faith in Christ. This is a privilege not granted to many of my brothers and sisters around the globe, and yet it is one that I often take for granted. 

Most of us here in the United States live a similar kind of comfortable life. We worry not over losing our life for the sake of the gospel but rather if serving at church will inconvenience our schedule, if taking a family in need a meal will break our grocery budget, or if we’d be able to survive one weekend with little sleep and no coffee so that our neighborhood teens can hear the gospel for the first time. As I consider these things, I wonder if in the Western church we’ve grown so accustomed to our comforts that we no longer feel the urgency of the gospel. 

Let me be clear: this is not a call to be irresponsible with your money or to wear busyness like a badge of honor. Instead, this is an encouragement to steward what the Lord has given you, whether it be time, talents, or treasures, for the sake of the gospel first. 

Reckless exhaustion isn’t the answer to Jesus’ call to the harvest, but I fear that many of us, myself included, are often more in danger of lounging by the wayside than we are of exhausting ourselves for the gospel. Our Lord is clear. There is a great harvest. Are we willing to labor for it?

Look Around

One of the first steps we can take is to do what Jesus did in Matthew 9: stop and look around. Jesus didn’t merely glance at the people; He saw them. He perceived their deep spiritual needs and was moved to act. We don’t have to go far to find people in the same condition. In our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and even in our churches, there are souls hungry for the truth of God’s Word, longing to be fed and cared for by the Good Shepherd.

We often hurry from one task to the next, rarely pausing to consider the eternal souls around us because the facade of comfort and “fine-ness” is real. But Christ calls us to more. In John 4:35, He urged His disciples, “Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.” 

The need is urgent. The opportunities are present. We must open our eyes and respond with the compassion and action of Christ.

Work Heartily

In Colossians 3:23, Paul exhorts, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.” This is not a suggestion—it is a command for every believer, in every season, in every task.

Many of us know what it means to work hard. We labor for careers, for financial stability, for personal goals. We sacrifice sleep and leisure to achieve the things we deem valuable. But are we laboring with that same intensity for the sake of the gospel? Are we pouring ourselves out so that Christ may be known, or have we convinced ourselves that comfort, convenience, and self-preservation are the ultimate priorities?

The work of the gospel isn’t glamorous. It won’t always be met with applause or gratitude. It often looks like serving in obscurity, discipling one soul at a time, answering late-night calls, showing up when it’s inconvenient, and persisting when no one seems to notice. It can be exhausting, but it is never wasted. As Paul reminded the Corinthians, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

This world will tell us that we must prioritize ourselves—our rest, our comfort, our well-being. But Christ has called us to something greater: to take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). If we are to be His disciples, we cannot love ease more than we love obedience. 

The harvest is plentiful, but labor requires sacrifice. We are called to labor, not halfheartedly, not when it’s convenient, but with every ounce of strength the Lord gives us, knowing that the reward is not in the ease of the task but in the faithfulness of the labor.

Consider the example of our Lord, the Suffering Servant, who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). In Scripture, we see Christ pouring Himself out, and even becoming weary from healing, loving, and serving the crowds He encountered daily. Why? Because He came to do the perfect will of the Father (John 6:38). Because He knew the extent of the work to be done.

Dear friend, if our Lord, the One who deserved to be served and lauded, spent His time on this earth serving others and toiling for the sake of the gospel, shouldn’t we as well?

Working Until Well Done

As I write, a deep conviction has settled into my heart, and I hope it will settle into yours too. Whenever my numbered days are finished, I don’t want to stroll leisurely into the presence of my God neat and put together. When my precious Savior looks at me to tell me, “Well done,” I want to be out of breath, with sweat on my brow, exhausted because there was work to do. And by God’s grace, He sustained me to do it.

Together, let’s resolve to put our hands to the plow. Let’s labor with joy, with urgency, and with love, knowing that the harvest is plentiful and the Lord of the harvest is faithful. There is work to be done. Will you do it?