David, hiding in a cave and depressed because of the low place in life which he had reached, lamented the fact that no one seemed to care for him with these famous words: "Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul" (Psalm 142:4). All of us have felt this way at one time or another in our own lives. We may not have spoken the words, but we have thought these identical thoughts. Often it was not true, but we certainly sensed that it was because there was no apparent manifestation of others' solicitude for us. We are looking for some outward expression of their care, some sure sign of their concern.

All around us today there are people who need us desperately. They need to feel that someone cares for them. They feel as David did, that no one cares for their soul. They may not put it into words precisely as the king of Israel did in the long ago. But down deep inside they feel that they are a name and a face, even a mere number, in a sea of humanity, and that there is no genuine concern for them.

When a government bureaucrat expresses the idea that he "feels their pain" and wants to help them to have a better life by providing government support and help for their needs, they will vote for such a person - even if he is a fraud - because they need to feel that someone cares for them. When he gains office and shows himself a mere time-server, then they are the more frustrated and feel the more confident that no one cares for them. Oftentimes the religious leaders who seek their favor are only set on separating them from some or all of their money, and so they become disillusioned and see religious folk in general as self-serving individuals who have no care for their souls.

Are our friends and neighbors correct when they believe that no one cares for their souls? Jesus certainly set forth the notion that God always has a man-power shortage when it comes to soul-winning, so to some extent at least, they must be correct in their belief. Here is what the Lord told the disciples on this matter: "Then saith he unto his disciples, 'The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest'" (Matt. 9:37-38). The laborers were few when Jesus made this statement. In fact, they are still few. And I would venture to suggest that the laborers are always few.

That may well be one of the important messages of this passage of Scripture. Jesus had the problem then; we have the problem now. Not much has changed. The laborers are few. It seems that there are painfully few people who genuinely care for the souls of men.

"No man cared for my soul," said the Psalmist. That is a pathetic cry. But, unfortunately, most of the lost millions of the earth could say the same thing in our time. Most of them have never had anyone earnestly seek to win them to the Lord. Most have never had anyone speak to them about the Scriptures and attempt to teach them the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ. Maybe they would turn them away in rejection, but perhaps not. Regardless, Jesus lamented that the laborers were so few, and taught us to pray that "the Lord of the harvest send forth laborers." Who are these laborers whom the Lord of the harvest might be convinced to send forth?

Too often we fail to recognize that we are the laborers whom the Lord sends forth. Not someone else, but us! Too many of us are sitting back waiting for some one else to do the work for us, when no soul-saving church that any of us has ever seen has been dependent upon a single individual or even a single couple for their success in personal work and soulwinning. There is no magic wand to wave, nor a silver bullet to fire that will turn a congregation which has shown little concern for souls in the past into a soul-conscious, evangelistic, outreach-oriented church. On the other hand, at some point in time every active, soul-saving church got started on the track to being what it ultimately became. This much is certain.

Every successful soul-winning church we have ever seen was productive in this area of their work because there was a general emphasis upon inviting and bringing friends, relations and neighbors to church, and a desire by one and all to convert outsiders to the faith. Several years ago, I heard a sales trainer speak of what he called the importance of "referred leads" in a sales organization. He pointed out that statistics prove that a salesman will make one sale out of one hundred "cold call" approaches. On the other hand, he would make one sale out of every three "referred leads." It is easy to see which type he suggested the salesperson go after! The same is true of our own work of proclaiming the gospel to a lost world. "Warm," "referred" prospects are one hundred times better than "cold" prospects picked out of a telephone book. All of us need to be looking daily for those "warm" prospects among our friends and others. And when the time is right, we must be the one to speak a word to them or extend an invitation their way. No one else can do it for us!

Would you be willing to invite someone to worship? If the answer is "No," then you must know that the congregation you attend can never be a soul-saving church precisely because of you and those like you. The more folks there are like you, the less chance there is the church will make a change for the better. If the answer is, "Yes," then get started now by issuing that simple invitation. "How would you like to go to worship with me on Sunday?" Surely there is someone in your neighborhood, at school or at work that you could invite to services?

Home Bible studies usually become the base for conversions which result from this emphasis on soul-winning churches. Would you be willing to have a home Bible study at your house? If the answer is, "No," then realize that the congregation you attend will never be a soul-saving church precisely because of you and those like you. The more folks there are like you, the less chance there is the church will make a change for the better. If the answer is, "Yes," then get started by inviting someone into your home expressly for that purpose. It seldom requires a professional's knowledge to answer the simple questions of most folks about the majority of Bible topics. Surely there is someone in your neighborhood, at school or at work that you could invite into your home to study some topic of spiritual interest?

"No one cared for my soul" is a sad lament for any person to make. Let us hope that it is not being made by some of those who are near, and maybe even dear, to us. Odds are, though, with all the people that we know and come into contact with, that someone in our immediate sphere of influence feels that way. Let your neighbors and friends know that you are interested in the salvation of their souls, that you are concerned for their spiritual well-being, and that you would like to see them enjoy the good things of Jesus Christ as you do. Tell them you care for their soul! Show them that you care for their soul!

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30).