7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field. 1 Corinthians 3:7–9
My wife in the past few years has worked an indoor “tower garden,” which has built-in lights and irrigation. The process starts by planting seeds in foam squares. Then when the seedlings are ready, they’re placed in the tower. Over time, they’re constantly irrigated with water mixed with nutrients and periodically exposed to the light. It is fascinating to watch them grow lush enough to begin harvesting for nightly fresh salads. The process has proven to be an object lesson for what is necessary in the body of Christ to ensure its growth: light, water, food, and time.
We tend to think that the pastor is the professional. He possesses the last and final word. I wish the pastor would do a series on this or that, we say. He should talk to the pastor, we say. But in a church it doesn’t or shouldn’t work this way. He can’t do everything. We need to be in that field as hard at work as he is.
All of us can and must minister using the word, planting, watering, pulling weeds, fertilizing, and harvesting. All take part in the process, but in all cases God causes the growth.
What is different is the reward. He or she who contributes little will reap little, and he or she who labors long and hard will receive much. Implied in this principle is the given that all should be working and all should have a role. We need to discover what our role is, accept it, and do it to God’s glory. If a person does not participate, in theory he or she will be “barren” in his or her spiritual life. A church cannot be allowed to go “fallow!”
Both Paul and Apollos had different roles and gifts, but both were vital in God’s field. We need to quit coveting another’s role and find ours. God has gifted all of us for something special. In theory, if what he’s called us to do is not discharged, while God’s plan for the church will certainly not be thwarted, we will personally fail to enjoy the fruit of the harvest.
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