We pick back up with Paul, who is trying to stop the quarreling regarding who is better -- Paul or Apollos, both "preachers" who profess Christ.
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
5 "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul?" It's interesting how Paul doesn't say "who" regarding he and Apollos. He is focusing on their job, as servants. It can be so easy for me to get distracted by who I am rather than what I am. But God is meant to be the focus -- always. He is the "Who" in my story, and I am just His servant. I don't have to be ho-hum about this, because He doesn't look at me that way. I have worth because I am His child and His servant. When we can keep ourselves and God in the correct perspective, much of life's toughest questions can be answered. In a culture where our occupations are a large part of our identity, it's helpful to have the reminder that I am not my job; instead, I am a servant of the Most High. No matter what my occupation is, what I do matters because I am doing it for Him.
"Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task." Paul is trying to tell them that they are thinking more highly than even Paul thinks of himself. He knows that he is just God's servant. That's it. He doesn't encourage the people to think any higher of him than that. He was simply doing what God has assigned him to do. Don't you want that perspective -- that I'm just doing what God has assigned me to do? Perhaps you think, but I don't think the Lord has assigned me to do anything. That's not true! This verse reminds us that "the Lord has assigned to each his task." If you are a follower of Christ, you have a job to do. We will see the two specific jobs Paul is referencing in the next verse.
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." Paul acted as the missionary or evangelist to this young church at Corinth. He did his task of planting a seed, or telling people about God's love for them and what Jesus did for them, and then he moved on. Then, Apollos rose up a leader within the people who would build upon the foundation Paul had set. Apollos was more like their pastor, if you will, nurturing, encouraging and continuing to challenge the new believers there in Corinth. But Paul says that though they had different jobs to do, and they did obey and do those jobs, it was God who has made that seed grow. God (the trinity) is the one who allows His Word to be understood and acted upon.
For over a year now, I have been actively involved in a ministry at my church called Stephen Ministry. We are a group of caregivers in our church for people who are going through normal life crises, and we meet one-on-one with our Care Receiver once a week. This verse has really begun to stick out to me as a part of this ministry. We are interacting with people who are greatly hurting because of grief, divorce, anxiety, relational difficulties, illness, and even their own impending deaths. It is in these moments that I must remember that I cannot fix anything in these situations -- I can only listen and walk beside them. I give the care, but only God can give the cure. The care is very, very important to the people who are suffering, so that is what I can focus on. But any work done in their hearts and bodies is God's job. There is relief in that! It takes off the unnecessary expectations I put on myself. But this doesn't have to be true in just Stephen Ministry -- it is true in all of our lives! Whatever you are wanting God to do in your life or the life of someone you love, must be done by Him. We can plant seeds and water them in our words and actions, and we absolutely should, but God is the only one who can make it grow or change. Period.
"So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." Because God is the Grower, this takes away my false pride. If my friend no longer has anxiety because of something I did or said, or if another friend is no longer getting a divorce because of my care for her, that is God's doing. Not mine. I am nothing when it comes to changing hearts. Again, it is all God, lest we think that we have the power to change people. Only God. Only God. I think Paul really wants us to understand those two word: Only God.
"The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor." Now, I can hear what you might be thinking, if God is the only one who matters in this situation, why don't we just let Him do it all? But here Paul reminds us that we DO have purpose! God doesn't want to do it alone; He desires to partner with us! He could do it all alone, there's no doubt about that, but He chooses not to -- for His glory and our good. When we understand that God could do it without us, but chooses to use fallible people anyway, He gets some major glory, and we reap the benefits of learning to be better Christ followers! If God is using us to work in someone else's life, there's no doubt in my mind that He will also work in our lives in the process as we care for and love on others. Two for the price of one! And, not only that, but we will be rewarded according to what we've done. Our salvation is not based on what we do, but our rewards in Heaven one day will be! Working for the Lord reaps major benefits now and in the future! Keep doing it! Don't give up now!
"For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building." And we are reminded again that God is using all of us if we allow Him. So we are co-workers -- not in a school building or an office building, but co-workers in the world. God's work involves many different gifts and abilities. No one, not even Paul or Apollos, are the superstars here. We are co-workers, equally valuable, but with different tasks, if we allow God to use us. And He wants to! So, I don't need to look at the people around me and wish I could be doing what they are doing. God has me doing something equally important, and from my experience, it is usually where your passions are. So, continue developing those passions! That's quite possibly where God wants to use you!
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