There’s a simple way to picture what a Kingdom Laborer looks like. Imagine a cup of tea. Tea is 99% water — yet no one would ever mistake it for plain water. Why? Because the water has been steeped in something greater than itself. What once was water has unmistakably become tea.
The same transformation happens in the life of a Kingdom Laborer. Steeped in an up-close relationship with Jesus, a Kingdom Laborer begins to take on His life and character — loving as He loves, seeing as He sees, serving as He serves. The longer they steep, the more unmistakably they reflect Him to the world around them.
So what exactly is a Kingdom Laborer — and could you be one?
Kingdom Laborer Meaning (Matthew 9:37-38)
Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:37-38, ESV)
Want to understand the full weight of what Jesus meant? Here’s what ‘the harvest is plentiful’ really means and why it matters for every believer today.
When I first read this verse, I thought it applied only to pastors, missionaries, or people who seemed like “super-Christians.” But over time, God showed me something different: this call is for every follower of Jesus.
A Kingdom Laborer is anyone who loves God, loves people, and intentionally lives for His purposes—right where they are. You don’t need special training, a specific job, or a perfect life. Every Christian, no matter your age, background, or experience, can be a laborer in God’s Kingdom.
I recently came across three, incredible real-life stories of ordinary people stepping into Kingdom Laborership. These examples show how God uses anyone who is willing, even in small, everyday moments. May their experiences encourage you, inspire you, and help you take your next step as a Kingdom Laborer!
Kingdom Laborer Examples (3 Real-Life Stories)
Example 1: From New Believer to Spiritual Father
A few years ago, my friend Cale worked with me at a coffee shop. I invited him to a Bible study at my house, and when I said the words “Bible study,” he looked at me and asked, “What is that?”
That’s where he was starting—but not where he stayed.
We began slowly walking through the book of Mark together. Eight weeks later, Cale gave his life to Jesus. Not long after, he moved away, and I wasn’t able to stay as connected as I would have liked.
Last year, we reconnected and started walking through Multiplying Movements together. By week two, Cale called me and said, “Josh, this is serious. I want to start telling people about Jesus right now. How do I do it?”
So we kept it simple.
- Spend time with people—see them, stop, and invest in their lives.
- Share your story—what your life was like before Jesus and what changed.
- Share the simple Gospel—Jesus came, died, rose again, and invites us into relationship with Him.
That same week, Cale shared Jesus with a coworker on a ski lift. She asked thoughtful questions, and by the end of the conversation she had given her life to Jesus. Cale has been walking her through the same Scriptures that once changed his life.
What’s most remarkable is that Cale has almost no Christian background. He’s dyslexic and struggles to read. He’s only read a few books of the Bible, yet God is using him right where he is.
Three weeks before that ski lift conversation, Cale had his first Date Alone With God. During that time, he sensed the Lord speaking to him personally. I’m convinced his boldness didn’t come from training alone; it came from intimacy. Sharing Jesus became the overflow of time spent with Him.
God doesn’t wait until we feel ready. He uses those who are willing.
Example 2: Laboring Where Only You Can Go
Another friend of mine, Ben, asked me an honest question after I told him about Kingdom Laborership.
“Josh, I want to be a laborer, but how can I really make an impact? You travel and speak. I don’t have that kind of reach.”
I asked him one simple question:
“Where do you go every day that I can’t?”
Ben is a competitive pickleball player and coach. I could never reach his world the way he can. And once he realized that, everything shifted.
Within weeks, Ben began living as a laborer on the pickleball courts. He started praying with people at tournaments and looking for natural opportunities to share Jesus. He’s just getting started, but already he’s seeing fruit—right where he spends his time and energy.
On a staycation with his wife, Ben found himself sitting in a hot tub next to an older man who was on the verge of losing his marriage because of his faith. Ben could have brushed off the conversation. Instead, he listened. He encouraged him. He treated the moment as an opportunity, not an interruption.
The conversation was so meaningful that the man later decided to support Ben’s upcoming mission trip to Ghana.
You never know what God will do when you stop seeing interruptions as inconveniences and start seeing them as invitations.
Example 3: Faithfulness After Suffering
My friend Matt was injured in a surfing accident and lost feeling from the waist down. For a long time, he wrestled with whether God was still good.
Eventually, Matt gave his life to Jesus. As he began to grow in his faith, we talked about his God-given purpose as a Kingdom Laborer. Immediately, his mind went to the skate park. Instead of walking away from the world he loved (skate parks and action sports), he returned to it in a wheelchair. He even got a specialized chair that allows him to fully participate at the park.
Now he’s there regularly. He builds relationships with people many others overlook, and he shares how Jesus has changed his life.
God is using Matt in a place many would never think to look, reaching people many would never think to reach.
Encouragement for Kingdom Laborers Who Feel Discouraged
My hope is that as you read these three stories you are seeing the ways that God is at work. I pray that you are encouraged and delighted! If you are anything like me, these stories make me want to run out there and get after it!
What a joyful thing it is to be a Kingdom Laborer.
Partnering with Jesus is exciting. It brings meaning. It brings purpose. And yes, sometimes it brings rejection, but even that can come with a strange, holy joy.
How to Start Being a Kingdom Laborer (One Simple Question)
Kingdom impact rarely looks the way we expect. More often than not, it happens in the most ordinary moments — a conversation over coffee, a kind word at work, a small act of obedience right where you are. What is one small step of obedience in Laborership God might be inviting you into right now? Here are some ideas:
- A conversation—reach out and speak encouragement into someone.
- A prayer—lift someone or something to God.
- A kind act—do something practical for someone in need.
- A story shared—tell your story of Jesus’ work in your life.
Take the step. See what God does. This life with Jesus is far more joyful than standing on the sidelines.
Run the race. It’s worth it!
Our programs—Forge Equipping, Life on Purpose Conferences, Multiplying Movements, and others—all seek to equip Kingdom Laborers through a myriad of means, from Speaker sessions and Resources to hands-on ministry equipping and more.
Want to Go Deeper as a Kingdom Laborer?
Here’s where to go next:
- What Does It Mean to Build God’s Kingdom? — why ordinary moments are where the Kingdom actually gets built
- 4 Characteristics of a Kingdom Laborer — the defining marks of someone steeped in Jesus
- 7 Ways to Make an Impact for Christ — practical next steps for everyday Laborers
- Are You Mission Minded? — five questions to help you evaluate where you are
- How to Advance God’s Kingdom in Everyday Life — why Kingdom impact is closer than you think
- What Is Laborership? — the calling that belongs to every Christian, every day, everywhere
- Christian Leadership vs. Laborership — why Jesus called laborers, not just leaders
- How to Build Up the Kingdom of God as Parents — your home is your first ministry field
Not sure if you are a Kingdom Laborer? Take the Spiritual Multiplication Quiz to find out! Or dive further into the four areas that Define a Kingdom Laborer below!
Four Areas that Define a Kingdom Laborer
Intimacy with God: At the core of everything is a close relationship with God… walking daily with our Savior and Friend, listening for His voice, following His direction.
- Setting aside time to just BE WITH God – just being present with Him without rushing.
- Studying God’s Word – letting it dwell in your heart and guide your thoughts and actions.
- Listening to the Holy Spirit – paying attention and following His guidance.
- Clearing your heart – practicing confession, forgiveness, and humility.
Igniting Passion: In Matthew 9, it says Jesus had compassion for the crowds… people like you and me. With Jesus’ compassion for us, we discover how deeply His love calls us to have a passion to love others as we are loved.
- Asking the hard questions – “Who does your heart break for?” and “Who are you willing to love at all costs?”
- Seeing through God’s eyes – inviting Him to give us His heart for the people we meet every day.
- Hearing stories of faith in action – learning from individuals living out the Great Commission in everyday life.
- Noticing what moves your heart – paying attention to the people and situations that stir compassion within you.
Growing Together: Continuously deepening roots of faith through journeying with community. Asking each other for help and support when we need it.
- Growing authentically with others – building real relationships where faith can flourish.
- Learning from mentors – hearing wisdom from those who have walked before us.
- Supporting each other – sharing struggles, victories, and encouragement along the journey.
- Rooting faith in community – discovering that growth is stronger and richer when we never do it alone.
Mobilizing for Mission: What is Jesus’ response after having compassion for the crowds? He asked His disciples, everyday people just like us, to pray and go! Kingdom Laborers live lives of everyday ministry—in corporate offices, faraway countries, neighborhoods—sparking Kingdom movement wherever they go. Filled with God’s love, Kingdom Laborers live with Hearts on Fire and Lives on Purpose for His Kingdom!
- Engaging your everyday world – noticing opportunities to show God’s love in ordinary places.
- Understanding your unique purpose – realizing how God has gifted you to contribute to His Kingdom.
- Walking in the Spirit – letting God guide your steps and decisions every day.
- Living with Hearts on Fire – combining passion, purpose, and love to spark Kingdom movement around you.
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