By Tom Shanklin

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35, KJV.

How often have you gotten your eyes upon something else other than the harvest? How often have you been seeking satisfaction in some worldly attraction or even a religious thing and forgotten what is important to the Father? Jesus never lost sight of why He was here on earth. He never deviated from His true purpose. “The Son of man,” He said, “is sent to seek and to save the lost.” Likewise, we in His Church have been given this same mission. We are to bring the Father’s children home.

Jesus longed to impart His Father’s will to His disciples. Don’t say, “Let’s wait four months”—later, later, later. Look! The fields are ripe now. If you don’t harvest the crop, it will be lost forever. He was never unclear about His mission. His purpose has not changed. Now He is working through you and me. As John Wesley said to the preachers working under him, “You have one business on earth—to save souls.”

In the natural world, we are told to keep our eyes on the road, because if we are looking at the ditch, we may end up there. Jesus was giving His disciples the secret of effective evangelism. “Look on the fields, for they are white unto harvest.” He didn’t say, “Look at the problems in your life or in the Church.” He didn’t say, “Look at the economy.” He didn’t say, “Look at the circumstances around you.” No, these are things that keep us from the goal. They are diversions. He said, “Keep your eyes on the ripe fields.”

Whatever you fix your eyes on is the direction you are going. It is your goal and your passion, the thing that consumes your energy. Jesus said, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35, KJV.

All around us are spiritually destitute people—people who need Jesus in their lives. Yet we hardly notice. Why? Because our eyes are on other things. We are looking at our bank account, our career, our ministries, our personal needs. We are following after conspiracy theories or the “latest revelation.” Our eyes are on the problems of the world, on political controversies and trivialities. But Jesus said, “Keep your eyes on the fields.” (author’s paraphrase) Why? Because they are ready. They are ripe!

There is no lack of candidates for salvation. There is no lack of people ready to receive Jesus. The only lack is for laborers, workers for the harvest fields of this world. The laborers are few, because they are distracted. Our focus and our vision is everything. We must see the needs and seize the opportunities. We must have spiritual vision that lines up with the will of the Father. Keep your eyes on the prize!

This article is an excerpt from Tom Shanklin’s book, “You Can Touch the World: Finding Your True Purpose” You Can Touch the World will unveil the awesome potential of your life, and inspire you to take the challenge to touch your world with the love of God. His heart beats for people—lost, hurting sighing, dying humanity, people who are far away from Him. You are the key to bringing them home. You are the extension of the heart of the Father. Click here to learn more about the book and to purchase it on Amazon.