I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.

- John 4:38

In today’s passage, Jesus wants to encourage his followers to be bold and to take risks in the work he has for them (in this case, it’s talking about God to people who come from a different ethnic group).

We can draw tremendous courage from seeing that our work is a part of a bigger work. We all benefit from things we didn’t earn. We drive roads we didn’t pave to get to schools we didn’t construct to learn truths we didn’t discover for ourselves. And that’s just kindergarten!

We are tremendously blessed to not have to start from scratch in every arena of life.

Where have you reaped what you did not sow?

When we're tuned into the reality that we all reap the benefits of other’s labor it shapes our attitudes and our relationships. We become more grateful for those who have gone before us. We become more generous with those who walk alongside us. We become more gentle toward those who follow after us.

Take some time today to ask God to open your eyes to areas where you reap the benefits of other’s labor. When you identify something, say “Thank you” to the Lord and (if you can find them) to the person who did that hard work.