It is Always Summer for Christians

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. (Prov 10:4-5 ESV)  

The Israelites lived in an agrarian society that understood that there was a time for everything. There was a time to plant and a time to pluck up what was planted (Ecc 3:2). The regular rhythms of the sun and the moon were ordained by God to govern the seasons so that we might learn about the importance of discipline and order. The God whom we serve is a God of order and peace—not confusion and chaos. And the beauty and symmetry of his creation reflects the manifold perfections of this glorious God. 

In this proverb, we are enlightened by the divinely-inspired wisdom of king Solomon regarding the importance of labouring at the appropriate time. Those who are dependent on their harvests to survive cannot work on their own timetables but must adhere to the heavenly schedule that God has ordained. The farmer who is lazy and refuses to harvest his crops when they are ripe during the summer will find only spoiled fruit and rotten vegetables in the fall. 

We modern city-folk have been immensely blessed in that we have airplanes and trucks that can supply us with delicious out-of-season fruits and goods from far-off lands even in the dead of winter. We work all year round and trade for what we need. This is a good thing and it means that our summers must not be wholly spent in back-breaking work to provide for ourselves lest we starve in the upcoming winter. Yet, we must never forget that even those we buy from must be diligent to use their harvest times productively in order to sell and trade with us. No one is exempt from following the ebb and flow of the divinely fixed seasons. 

As Christians, we delight in the beautiful sunshine and warmth that God gives us during the summer months. But we must never forget that we are living in the last age—a spiritual, summer harvest season that is rapidly drawing to a close as our Lord Jesus prepares to return. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. (Luke 10:2 ESV)”

We are grateful to no longer live in the winter season of human history when Messiah was only a promise and the polar nights of sin and death shrouded us Gentiles in a valley of deep darkness. We are privileged to have witnessed the spring season in which our Lord walked the earth and brought the newness of eternal life to all who would believe in him. And we are blessed to now live as workers in the master’s vineyard in the summer of our Lord’s harvest! Oh, there is much joy, peace, and rest to be had as we bask in the golden rays of the love of Christ that fill our hearts with warmth and everlasting happiness. But let us remember that the summer God has blessed us with is also a time for diligent labour!  

“Lift up your eyes,” said the Master, “and see that the fields are white for harvest (John 4:35).” The world around us is blooming in this spiritual summer with souls that have been prepared from before the foundation of the world for us to reap as fruit for our King. They are planted everywhere around us in the oddest places. Perhaps a family member, or a neighbor, or a person who rides the bus with us every day. A young teenager driven away from his home, a single mother with three children, an outwardly happy work colleague who is struggling with inner depression. Church, do you see these lost sheep as our Master does? Our King desires a royal priesthood, a holy nation of redeemed people to worship him, and he has made us ambassadors of his kingdom to preach the Good News and to lead souls out of the kingdom of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ!  

Taking a summer break from a regularly scheduled church program or small group does NOT mean taking a break from God, his Word, or his mission for us. And so long as our Lord delays his coming, we remain in the summer of our Lord’s harvest. It is always summer for Christians. 

So, let us be diligent—not slack—this summer as we labour for his kingdom. Let us not be unfaithful servants who bury their talents to pursue the pleasures of this world, but let us be prudent sons and daughters who work with the fervency of those who know that NOW is the time to reap and gather souls for our Lord’s good pleasure.  

Written by: Samuel Chua